Posted on 07/19/2011 8:40:48 AM PDT by Red Badger
Some of the human X chromosome originates from Neanderthals and is found exclusively in people outside Africa, according to an international team of researchers led by Damian Labuda of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center. The research was published in the July issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution.
"This confirms recent findings suggesting that the two populations interbred," says Dr. Labuda. His team places the timing of such intimate contacts and/or family ties early on, probably at the crossroads of the Middle East.
Neanderthals, whose ancestors left Africa about 400,000 to 800,000 years ago, evolved in what is now mainly France, Spain, Germany and Russia, and are thought to have lived until about 30,000 years ago. Meanwhile, early modern humans left Africa about 80,000 to 50,000 years ago. The question on everyone's mind has always been whether the physically stronger Neanderthals, who possessed the gene for language and may have played the flute, were a separate species or could have interbred with modern humans. The answer is yes, the two lived in close association.
"In addition, because our methods were totally independent of Neanderthal material, we can also conclude that previous results were not influenced by contaminating artifacts," adds Dr. Labuda.
Dr. Labuda and his team almost a decade ago had identified a piece of DNA (called a haplotype) in the human X chromosome that seemed different and whose origins they questioned. When the Neanderthal genome was sequenced in 2010, they quickly compared 6000 chromosomes from all parts of the world to the Neanderthal haplotype. The Neanderthal sequence was present in peoples across all continents, except for sub-Saharan Africa, and including Australia.
"There is little doubt that this haplotype is present because of mating with our ancestors and Neanderthals. This is a very nice result, and further analysis may help determine more details," says Dr. Nick Patterson, of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, a major researcher in human ancestry who was not involved in this study.
"Dr. Labuda and his colleagues were the first to identify a genetic variation in non-Africans that was likely to have come from an archaic population. This was done entirely without the Neanderthal genome sequence, but in light of the Neanderthal sequence, it is now clear that they were absolutely right!" adds Dr. David Reich, a Harvard Medical School geneticist, one of the principal researchers in the Neanderthal genome project.
So, speculates Dr. Labuda, did these exchanges contribute to our success across the world? "Variability is very important for long-term survival of a species," says Dr. Labuda. "Every addition to the genome can be enriching." An interesting match, indeed.
So it’s going to come down to “African is the PURE species of man?? Puleeeeeeez.....
Could that explain our yen for grilled meat?
Man is soooooo vain....
Sheila Jackson Lee....
Now THERE is evidence of a more evolved breed of human!
Just look at the NFL.
The evidence has been right before our eyes for a long time!...............
Maybe explains sushi and Steak Tartar...........
So it's true what most non-Negroid peoples sense intuitively. Black Africans ARE different from us, and not just in outward appearances.
Farrakhan is right!
Take Back AMERICA!
FUBO GTFO 2012 !
So which is it... Neanerthal or Neandertal?
So which is it... Neanderthal or Neandertal?
Too bad the Great Ice Ship of my ancestors melted during the 1st global warming. We lost all our proof of origin. Our original COBs went down with the ship. :o(
I don't think that is what they are saying at all. For all we know, the reason North African, Middle Eastern, European and Asian populations advanced, developed cities, farming, writing, and so on, while sub-Saharan people did not is because of the Neanderthal genes. Just because the popular view of Neanderthals is that they were stupid doesn't mean it's true.
There are those who believe that the ‘Nephilim’ of the Old Testament mentioned in Genesis are actually Neanderthals that had survived up until the time of the dawn of civilization...............
Hahahaha...thanks for the great laugh to start my day. :)
Depends on whether you are German or not..............
As best I can tell having Neaderthal genetics incorporated into your DNA software code is effectively an upgrade.
Neanderthal genetics, it's like jailbreaking the Homo Sapiens so he can hit maximum potential.
I don’t like the word Neanderthal. I prefer First Persons.
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