22 Apr 10
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/04/early-humans-may-have-bred-wit.html#comment-2275986
Our purity as modern humans is now blown wide open. For decades, scientists have been saying modern humans never mixed dna with Neanterthals but this evidence shows otherwise and the full dna of Neanterthals will soon be finished and they will be looking even deeper.
22 Apr 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotI'm not sure you could fairly classify analysis of mitochondrial DNA as 'light science', but I have long suspected that the 'no interbreeding' position was incorrect. Consider taurodontism in modern populations, chignon-like occipital development in Upper Palaeolithic Europeans, small size of Neanderthal samples and physiological variation across modern human populations. Nice to see the tide turning at last!
"scientists have been saying", but their background was light science. now hardened by this event.
22 Apr 10
1 edit
Originally posted by sonhouseOne doesn't kiss and tell! 😉 Chivarly is not dead...oh wait, I guess it is. 😕
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/04/early-humans-may-have-bred-wit.html#comment-2275986
Our purity as modern humans is now blown wide open. For decades, scientists have been saying modern humans never mixed dna with Neanterthals but this evidence shows otherwise and the full dna of Neanterthals will soon be finished and they will be looking even deeper.
23 Apr 10
Originally posted by avalanchethecatthey had mitochondrial DNA from Neanderthals and found no crossover in it?
I'm not sure you could fairly classify analysis of mitochondrial DNA as 'light science', but I have long suspected that the 'no interbreeding' position was incorrect. Consider taurodontism in modern populations, chignon-like occipital development in Upper Palaeolithic Europeans, small size of Neanderthal samples and physiological variation across modern human populations. Nice to see the tide turning at last!
how would that work? it's maternal line only, right?
would you have to have two mothers mating together (unlikely with Neanderthal technology)?
(i could probably sit down and figure it out but only on first half cup of coffee this morning.)
23 Apr 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotYou're guess is as good as mine, I wasn't there either! Maybe the Neanderthals were less tolerant of hybrid offspring? Or maybe hybrids weren't tough enough to survive Neanderthal lifestyle and diet? It's usually reckoned they ate an awful lot of meat (but also see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2008/september/neanderthal-diet-like-early-modern-humans21201.html), perhaps they all died young from super-constipation!
they had mitochondrial DNA from Neanderthals and found no crossover in it?
how would that work? it's maternal line only, right?
would you have to have two mothers mating together (unlikely with Neanderthal technology)?
(i could probably sit down and figure it out but only on first half cup of coffee this morning.)
23 Apr 10
Originally posted by sonhouseThe BNP and Aryan Brotherhood are going to love this.
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/04/early-humans-may-have-bred-wit.html#comment-2275986
Our purity as modern humans is now blown wide open. For decades, scientists have been saying modern humans never mixed dna with Neanterthals but this evidence shows otherwise and the full dna of Neanterthals will soon be finished and they will be looking even deeper.
"The researchers suggest the interbreeding happened about 60,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean and, more recently, about 45,000 years ago in eastern Asia," Nature News reports from the annual meeting of the American Society of Physical Anthropologists in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
23 Apr 10
Originally posted by avalanchethecatIf we have Neanderthal dna, the hybrids HAD to survive if they are here to the present day. It didn't have to be more than a few individuals involved, just the leftover dna presence that made it to modern times.
You're guess is as good as mine, I wasn't there either! Maybe the Neanderthals were less tolerant of hybrid offspring? Or maybe hybrids weren't tough enough to survive Neanderthal lifestyle and diet? It's usually reckoned they ate an awful lot of meat (but also see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2008/september/neanderthal-diet-like-early-modern-humans21201.html), perhaps they all died young from super-constipation!
24 Apr 10
Originally posted by AThousandYoungwell, doesn't that likely mean the great majority of white ango-saxons have neanderthal blood?
The BNP and Aryan Brotherhood are going to love this.
"The researchers suggest the interbreeding happened about 60,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean and, more recently, about 45,000 years ago in eastern Asia," Nature News reports from the annual meeting of the American Society of Physical Anthropologists in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
24 Apr 10
1 edit
Originally posted by AThousandYoungDepends on where you draw the line marked 'people'. Check out Boxgrove - Homo Heidlebergensis, dating to about 500,000 years ago. Or if you mean people like us, as far as I'm aware the earliest in Britain is Kent's Cavern - reckoned at about 36,000 years ago.
People have been in Britain for 250,000 years.
As Wolfgang says though, unlikely to be any hominids around during peak glaciation.