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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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 Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 2:40 pm Post subject: New genome shows Neanderthal trace in humans |
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The first partial genome of Neanderthals has revealed they probably interbred with humans, with most of us carrying up to four per cent Neanderthal DNA.
An international team of researchers sequenced the DNA of Neanderthal using samples of bone powder from three bones found in Croatia, Russia and Spain.
The research is revealing some interesting differences and surprising similarities between humans and our closest evolutionary relatives.
"Today, we estimate that people who live outside of Africa � are about one to four per cent Neanderthal," Ed Green of the University of California, Santa Cruz, said in an interview with CBC Radio's Quirks & Quarks.
Green is the first author of the paper describing the Neanderthal genome, appearing this week in the journal Science.
By comparing the genome to those of chimpanzees and modern humans, the closest living relatives of Neanderthal, the scientists were able to estimate how much of the complete genetic sequences they were able to piece together, and to see how different � and how similar � Neanderthal is to us.
Neanderthal is an extinct species of human that first appeared about 400,000 years ago and went extinct about 30,000 years ago. Their fossil remains have been found across Europe and in western Asia.
The researchers were able to collect enough small fragments of DNA � more than a billion in all � to have at least one copy of 60 per cent of the entire genome of Neanderthal.
"Many positions [in the genome] we have seen two or three times, and then there are positions we haven't seen any observations yet, which leaves still some work for the future," Green said.
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Ugahh Ugahh! |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| people who live outside of Africa � are about one to four per cent Neanderthal |
 It'd make Africans more human than Caucasians and Asians! That may deal a blow to racism against people of African heritage.
Are Germans and Mongolians part neanderthal? Are tribal Africans more human if they don't have neanderthal DNA? Interesting! |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
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| people who live outside of Africa � are about one to four per cent Neanderthal |
It'd make Africans more human than Caucasians and Asians! That may deal a blow to racism against people of African heritage.
Are Germans and Mongolians part neanderthal? Are tribal Africans more human if they don't have neanderthal DNA? Interesting! |
A racist would be far more likely to treat this data as vindication of his beliefs rather than consider it a blow to them. Genetic differences are fertile ground for the imaginations of such people. |
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rollo
Joined: 10 May 2006
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Some confusion about modern day groups and what these scientist are talking about. Also define human. But this study confirms what was suggested by Fred Smith and Eric Trinkhaus about Neadertal in the 80's. Bar Josef's studies at Flower cave where he found Neadethal, early modern human artifacts mixed in the same time period further complicates the matter. but we are not talking about modern peoples here. This is a very complicated issue. Milton Wolpoff has argued that the intrepatation of the fossil record is wrong and that we have made a muddle of tracing human lineage. The stuff out of Asia is interesting and may open the door to some new ideas. |
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kabrams
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Location: your Dad's house
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| VanIslander wrote: |
| Quote: |
| people who live outside of Africa � are about one to four per cent Neanderthal |
It'd make Africans more human than Caucasians and Asians! That may deal a blow to racism against people of African heritage.
Are Germans and Mongolians part neanderthal? Are tribal Africans more human if they don't have neanderthal DNA? Interesting! |
A racist would be far more likely to treat this data as vindication of his beliefs rather than consider it a blow to them. Genetic differences are fertile ground for the imaginations of such people. |
I agree. Racist people on either side are going to use this any way they can. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Someone 70,000 years ago was extremely horny or hard up. |
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Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's much too early to conclude that there is no Neanderthal DNA in Africans - unless they tested an extremely large sample. Also, as I understand it, the interbreeding occurred between Neanderthals and a group of pre-modern humans who made it out of Africa to the Near East, and then retreated back to Africa - due to, perhaps, climate change - approximately 40,000 years before the first modern humans emigrated out of Africa. Seems to me that leaves plenty of time and opportunity for Neandethal genese to diffuse throughout the early modern then modern human original population within Africa.
Still, there's one good thing about this research: just imagine the looks on the faces of Asian racists when they find out they have Neanderthal DNA too! |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:19 am Post subject: |
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| I wonder if this will mean we'll see a move towards one of these two scenarios: 1) Homo sapiens neanderthalensis will no longer be separated from Homo sapiens sapiens, or 2) the rules will change and different races will once again be given distinct subspecies classifications. It seems like one of those two would have to occur, right? If neanderthals could and did mate with other humans and produced viable offpsring that could and did mate with either of its parent 'species,' we would no longer be able to classify it separately under the current taxonomic traditions, right? |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 2:24 am Post subject: |
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| geldedgoat wrote: |
| I wonder if this will mean we'll see a move towards one of these two scenarios: 1) Homo sapiens neanderthalensis will no longer be separated from Homo sapiens sapiens, or 2) the rules will change and different races will once again be given distinct subspecies classifications. It seems like one of those two would have to occur, right? If neanderthals could and did mate with other humans and produced viable offpsring that could and did mate with either of its parent 'species,' we would no longer be able to classify it separately under the current taxonomic traditions, right? |
No. For example, although tigers and lions are different species, they are capable of producing hybrids called ligers, but of course, this rarely happens since they live in different habitats. And of course, there are other species combinations which can produce hybrids but have troubling doing so due to differences in the gestation periods between the different species.
So, it could be that in the case of neanderthals and humans, it could be that human mothers had trouble delivering live neanderthal/human hybrid babies due to differences in the gestation period. Or maybe it was physically difficult for the hybrids to survive going through the more narrow birth canal. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 3:26 am Post subject: |
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Whatever. If Humans, Betazoids, Klingons, Bajorans, Romulans, Vulcans, and Cardassians can all mate and produce viable offspring, surely Neanderthals can be in the mix. Come on people, this isn't rocket science.
Oh and don't forget Half-Elves, Elves, Kender, and Ogre-Irda.
Last edited by Steelrails on Wed May 12, 2010 3:28 am; edited 1 time in total |
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The Happy Warrior
Joined: 10 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| Whatever. If Humans, Betazoids, Klingons, Bajorans, Romulans, Vulcans, and Cardassians can all mate and produce viable offspring, surely Neanderthals can be in the mix. Come on people, this isn't rocket science. |
lol |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| Could it be that humans evolved from extra hairy versions with ape monkey like features decreasing as the evolution progressed? I think the many types of early hominids are extinct because they were part of the evolution leading to homo sapiens. It seems that homo erectus was highly successful at procreating leading to the eventuality of homo sapiens, the smartest animals in the history of the world. It would be interesting to take images of each type in chronological order and morph them. |
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stilicho25
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 3:41 am Post subject: |
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| This explains why the guy I wrestled in high school had a thick pelt of back hair. This also explains why I now have a thick pelt of back hair. |
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
| Could it be that humans evolved from extra hairy versions with ape monkey like features decreasing as the evolution progressed? I think the many types of early hominids are extinct because they were part of the evolution leading to homo sapiens. It seems that homo erectus was highly successful at procreating leading to the eventuality of homo sapiens, the smartest animals in the history of the world. It would be interesting to take images of each type in chronological order and morph them. |
I don't think that's really how it works. We got less hairy for a reason, either because it gave an advantage or because it was a side effect of an advantage. It didn't happen gradually as each homo species was more intelligent. We just happened to be the hominid to survive.
Anyway, we are part of the ape family, so our evolutionary ancestors would have had ape like features as we do now. |
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joeleitz
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| young_clinton wrote: |
| Someone 70,000 years ago was extremely horny or hard up. |
It just goes to show that you should always do a background check. |
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