[weegee]

"According to the researchers, these early Homo sapien bones show anatomical features that could only have arisen if the adult female in question had Neanderthal ancestors as part of her lineage."

Uh, isn't that the WHOLE concept of evolution, the neanderthals WERE our ancestors?

[ndt]

"Uh, isn't that the WHOLE concept of evolution, the neanderthals WERE our ancestors?"

There has always been a great deal of debate as to whether Neanderthals were our ancestors or an offshoot of the family tree that went extinct. Despite the confidence of this researcher, I would say the jury is still out on that one.

[From many - one.]

No.

[carumba]

Uh, isn't that the WHOLE concept of evolution, the neanderthals WERE our ancestors?

I guess they will have to revise the classic monkey to man illustration in all those 6th grade biology texts.

[Verginius Rufus]

Neanderthals lived in Europe and parts of the Middle East. During the same period, there were non-Neanderthal humans in other parts of the world (Africa and other parts of Asia). Those who don't believe we have any Neanderthal ancestry would have modern humans totally descended from the people in the other parts of the world.

[Drammach]

Uh, isn't that the WHOLE concept of evolution, the Neanderthals WERE our ancestors?

No, present belief is that we had a common ancestor.. Separate branches..

The article has statements suggesting "blending", "absorption", "assimilation"...
I suggest this is incorrect..

The answer is speciation...
We weren't "blending" or growing closer together, we were growing farther apart..
Chances are, interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals was more common the farther back in history one goes, as you get closer to the branching of the two groups..

Of course, this doesn't explain why the Neanderthals disappeared, but it's another possibility of what was going on with two different species of human..
My best guess is that Neanderthal was simply out-competed..
Modern humans were just smarter, faster, better hunters, and could out-travel and out-breed the Neanderthal..

After retreating again and again from modern humans, Neanderthal found itself isolated in poor hunting areas, probably at the northern limits of the arctic circle, and in such small numbers that they were no longer a sustainable breeding population..
Genetic defects and still births due to inbreeding caused their deaths..

[gonzo]

"...Uh, isn't that the WHOLE concept of evolution, the neanderthals WERE our ancestors?..."

Actually, they sorta were our ancestors, but first, they were a distinctly different and earlier model of 'Human Being'.

It's apparent that Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man both existed at the same time, and most surely met each other.

Now THAT must have been one hell-of-a-meeting - two different models of humans trying to figure it out.

Inbreeding was almost a certainty, and even if the genetic differences produced a lot of dead-end 'mules', like horses v donkeys, sooner or later some progeny were bound to be able to reproduce.

Must have been interesting times...............FRegards