Posted on 02/21/2016 5:06:59 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Ever since geneticists sequenced the first Neanderthal genome in 2010, researchers have been reporting just how related humans are to their ancient, extinct cousins. Since then, there's been more research. And more. And more.
As it turns out, non-African modern humans have Neanderthals to thank for 1 to 4 percent of their DNA. The two species were thought to have interbred around 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, based on the Neanderthal DNA found in anatomically modern human specimens and people living today.
But scientists had yet to find a signature of such mating interactions in Neanderthal DNA, until now.
"Instead of leaving fragments of Neanderthal DNA in modern humans, we find fragments of modern human DNA in the Neanderthal genome," says Adam Siepel, a computational biologist who heads the quantitative biology program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
Dr. Siepel, as part of an international team of geneticists, anthropologists, and computer scientists, found that a Neanderthal specimen from Siberia shared at least 1 percent of its DNA with modern humans. And that mating event happened some 100,000 years ago. Their results were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
"Humans and Neandertals must have met considerably earlier than we thought previously," Siepel tells The Christian Science Monitor in an interview.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
So these new findings suggest that some modern humans might have left Africa before 100,000 years ago.
>>> Neanderthals and modern humans mated 50,000 years earlier than we thought, scientists say. <<<
Yes, and the result becomes visible in every presidential election season.
Old theory is wrong. They must get new theory........
Even with a 50,000 year more of a head start than previously assumed !
You shoulda met our high school football coach...
We called him “Fuzzy.”
Reading the article further on a guy says that Modern Human and Neanderthal are the same species, differently adapted and may be a subspecies, else there could be no interbreeding.
Theories are always being proven wrong, or incomplete ... new theory = new grant.
That’s how science is supposed to work.
Now the fact that the overall global temperature hasn’t gone up over the past 15 years ago despite an ever increase (still minute) in atmospheric CO2 should prompt science to throw out the old theory and come up with a new one. But that would dry up all the grant money form the rich and powerful who want to use the scare to get more control.
But seriously, when old facts are proven wrong, or new evidence appears, I would expect to see new theories replace the old ones that have, because of new evidence, been proven wrong. And if this didn’t happen, you’d be reading this in your log hut by the fireplace on your hand written piece of slate.
Are these the same scientists that say we’re somehow related to frogs?
Nothing ever changes.Lower species always try to breed up.
They are still around today, they are Democrats. Hillary is the leader along with Bernie, they are both older than Neanderthals, thou. LOL
I’ve got an aunt on my Dad’s side that we suspect mated earlier than claimed as well. But not by 50,000 years!
Misconception that neanderthals were stupid dumb savages are wrong
There’s a model of a Neanderthal I’ve seen that has red hair and light eyes. She looks a lot like our daughter. I’ve read that the “ginger” gene and maybe allergies come from Neanderthals.
Don’t we, as FReepers, have an obligation to make a passing remark about Laz and hittin’ it here?
Because of the way the larynx is positioned in the Neanderthal throat, they had high voices and ‘sang soprano’ and may have ‘sung,’ not in words, which would have been difficult, but in tones ... places with naturally resonating harmonics would have been important to them, if the preceding is true, as such properties amplify and modulate tones.
How do they know the...event didn’t happen in Africa rather than Siberia?
Wow. I had never heard of that. Thanks.
His ancestors prolly did it. And bless them for incorporating the good genes.
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