New DNA From A Neanderthal Bone Reveals Evidence Of A Lost Tribe Of Humans

Business Insider - Science Alert ^ | 7-5-2017 | Mike McRae, ScienceAlert

[blam]

A femur discovered in a cave in southwestern Germany has provided researchers with firm evidence that a small population of humans left Africa and then vanished, long before the big migration that saw humans populate the globe.

Signs of this mysterious early migration remained in the DNA of the Neanderthal who left the leg bone behind, revealing not only a previous tryst between the two hominin populations, but a sign that Neanderthals were far more diverse than we thought

A team of scientists led by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the University of Tübingen in Germany used the DNA from the femur's mitochondria to determine its relationship with other Neanderthals and modern humans.

Neanderthal and human history is a little complicated. So stick with us.

Neanderthals and humans are regarded as close cousins, either under the same species of Homo sapiens or a closely related species Homo neanderthalis.

Mitochondria — our cells batteries — contain a set of genes separate from the DNA bunched up inside our nucleus. Since mitochondrial DNA mutates in a fairly predictable, conserved fashion, we can measure and map its mutations to get a good idea of when two populations last shared them.

Differences between our mitochondrial genes suggest we last shared a common ancestor a little over 400,000 years ago, though previous studies on nuclear DNA had estimated a split as far back as nearly 800,000 years ago.

(snip)

An exhibit shows the life of a neanderthal family in a cave in the new Neanderthal Museum in the northern town of Krapina

(Notice how depictions of Neanderthals are becoming less and less ugly/brutish)

(snip)

[gundog]

The Hubba crack is from “Luggage of the Gods,” by the way. An entertaining little flick.

[ConservaTeen]

The lost tribe...Conservative Democrats?

[blam]

"They have looked a little deeper and found that they have Neanderthal DNA as well. Probably taken there in the migrations back into Africa."

We have that too:(11 years ago)

Humans Migrated Out Of Africa, Then Some Went Back, Study Says

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yep.

Migration is never a one way thing.

[ViLaLuz]

Ha ha ha ha haaa

[clearcarbon]

"They have looked a little deeper and found that they have Neanderthal DNA as well. Probably taken there in the migrations back into Africa. "

I assume the migration was driven to cyclical changes in climate. They just followed the groceries.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

That or part of a group gets chased out and decided to go back to the west and south rather then going north and east.

You read up on any migration and it involves people going back and forth. There was no reason for the one out of Africa to be any different yet they appear surprised that it was.

Weird.

[clearcarbon]

"You read up on any migration and it involves people going back and forth. "

It's still going on. Some are called "snowbirds."

[SunkenCiv]

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-neanderthal-s-dna-is-evidence-of-a-lost-tribe-of-humans

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 07/05/2017. Thanks blam.

[ElkGroveDan]

So if we can prove a link to this tribe do we get our own casinos? This fits entirely with my family lore handed down in song.