We may have interbred with Neanderthals earlier than previously thought. (page 2)

SecretSlaveClass

There is an excellent documentary called "Decoding the Neanderthal" on Netflix which I highly recommend for anyone interested in science and our history. The topic of interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homosapians is covered in the documentary and offers this very fact as a partial explanation for the extinction of the Neanderthal. Apparently it's quite possible that they were simply "absorbed" into the early Homosapian settlers of Europe. According to DNA trace testing (which is largely what the documentary is about), most modern humans have anywhere from 2% - 10% Neanderthal DNA, with those of European ancestry having the largest proportion of Neanderthal DNA. They also discovered that Neanderthals were more advanced than originally supposed. Interesting stuff.

Often times my sheer idiocy has caused me to joke that I may just be partially Neanderthal. Now I know in all likelihood it isn't just a joke but I may well have the world's highest proportion of their DNA and my wife tends to agree ;)

Half banana

Anders, one possible teensy mistake in your Awake article...shouldn't the last line have read; " And again true science shows the Bible to be correct"?

vivalavida

Since humans were in Africa 'later', they must have been on other continents 'earlier'.
Clearly this proves that human migration started in the Garden of Eden, not in Africa

Really? To me it only "kind" of prove that the origins were not necessarily in Africa... the world is huge though and there are many other parts that could be taken into account. Check out the Bock Saga, similar to the bible but of Finnish origin, they claim humans came from the north!

vivalavida

Anders Andersen

Hmmm just wondering now.

Apparently we share 50% of our DNA with banana's, and only 1%-10% with Neanderthalers.

What have women been doing???

@half banana

Lol, indeed. Know I know why I was never invited on the propaganda committee.

But this 'true science corresponds with our prehistoric storybook' makes me puke every time....

Anders Andersen

@Viva.....smile ;-)

Mephis

I really hope we find some complete Denisovan skeletons, or at least skulls, so we can get some idea of what they looked like. Some of the more modern Neanderthal reconstructions have been very clever in gently subverting the 'ape man' or 'captain caveman' ideas which were once common. These guys survived around 80,000 years in an ice age. With only stone tools.

Joe Grundy

Mephis:

I was quite taken with the picture of the lady you posted above.

I've woken up with worse looking women than that, IIRC, and she has a certain je ne sais quoi about her.

Mephis

You're not from Kent are you Joe? That's where she's from ;) That's the reconstruction they did for the Natural History Museum. (Full picture on this blog from there, NSFW for some people as she's topless so just advance warning: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/natureplus/blogs/whats-new/2014/02/11/neanderthal-woman-in-pieces )

The man looks like many I've sat opposite from at meetings. Chimp kicked through Burtons... ;) That's the Neanderthal Museum in Germany dressing him up in modern clothing to try and get people to question assumptions.

Half banana

Yes the Neanderthals survived in Britain during the Ice Age at Cresswell Crags in Derbyshire and without central heating as well. By heck! they were reet tuff in them days. I was born in that area myself...makes you wonder...

Indeed more skeletal parts from Denisovans will be most welcome. Will they exhibit mid-face prominence (maxilliary prognathism) such as in Neanderthal or perhaps they will look like some of the flatter faced north Siberian tribes such as the Yukaghirs or Tungus? (Couldn't load the pics)

These are exciting times in writing in the details of the human pedigree.

We may have interbred with Neanderthals earlier than previously thought.

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