Neandertal Mtochondrial DNA Deciphered

[Mr. McD]

Results show modern humans, Neandertals diverged 660,000 years ago
Now there’s even more scientific proof that you are not a Neandertal, no matter what anyone says.

An international consortium of researchers reports in the Aug. 8 Cell that for the first time the complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA from a Neandertal has been deciphered. Comparison of the Neandertal sequence with mitochondrial sequences from modern humans confirms that the two groups belong to different branches of humankind’s family tree, diverging 660,000 years ago.

At 16,565 bases long, the new sequence is the largest stretch of Neandertal DNA ever examined. The DNA was isolated from a 38,000-year-old bone found in a cave in Croatia.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34990/title/Neandertal_mitochondrial_DNA_deciphered_

[HillbillyBob]

1. Well it is nice to know..

That we aren't Neaderthals..but the repukes sure act like it..then again the Neandertals were human....:9:evilgrin:

[theoldman]

2. 660,000 years would indicate that there was no interbreeding

between Neanderthals and Modern Humans. I still wonder why Neanderthals developed larger brains only to go extinct first.

[LiberalEsto]

4. Maybe the Fundie "humans"

exterminated them for having too-large brains

[shraby]

5. They probably went extinct because

they were too conservative..their tool kit was virtually unchanged forever, and the homo sapiens that replaced them had a much more diverse tool kit which showed them to be more inventive which would help carry them through adverse times.

[eppur_se_muova]

13. An object lesson in the perils of conservatism.

ARGHHH ... too late for fifth rec!

[Indenturedebtor]

12. Size isn't everything! There are plenty of people with big heads who are mighty stupid

And women have smaller brains than men on average, but there are a ton of smart women running around.

It's the surface area that really determines volume (which is what all those ripples on a brain are for), and truly the speed and efficiency and organization of your brain is what makes you smart (or relatively not so smart).

But who knows? They may have been just as smart as us but less violent and less horny :shrug:

[Tesha]

14. Same reason as the dinosaurs: Smoking.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. There is still a theory that there was interbreeding. I saw a show

about a child's skeleton unearthed in Spain(?) that had features of both.

[RedLetterRev]

3. Mum will be relieved :)

Interesting article. We've been following this on the Science Channel at home and were wondering when the mitochondrial results might be released. Thanks for the posting!

[DCKit]

6. Thought mitochondrial DNA was only inherited maternally.

Kind of makes it difficult to make a blanket statement on the issue. Maternal bloodlines may have died out in the great crash/climate change event of 75K +/- years ago, when the entire population of humans was reduced to thousands - maybe even hundreds. That doesn't rule out paternal inheritance.

If there are two things humans are good at, fucking and fighting are at the top of the list. The stereotype "ugly Neanderthal chick" (if the concept of ugly applied) would have stood just as much chance of being clubbed over the head and drug back to the cave as any other female.

Additionally, it is thought the Neanderthals were highly intelligent and, physically, far stronger than humans. While the idea of a relationship with a smarter, stronger female would have been (and still is) anathema to male humans, females of nearly all species gravitate to the strongest, smartest and best mates.

Just sayin'.

:devilgrin:

[bdf]

7. So did others, until recently

There is occasionally paternal transfer of mitochondria. But it's partial and it's rare.

[Mr. McD]

8. Do you have a source for that?

I have not heard of this. I would have to read it to believe it. Sperm contains no mitochondria except in the tail for motility. The tail does not enter the egg which is rich in mitochondria.

[bdf]

9. At this time of night?

After a bottle of wine?

On a freakin' Friday?

Nope. But I'm pretty sure I read it in Nude Scientist some months ago. BTW, the magazine is a rip-off: there are no pictures of nekkid scientists in it.

Google is your friend. And after this much wine, I can confidently state that google is my bestest friend, I love google *hic*.

Sorry, all I can give you is a vague recollection. And you're quite right to require a more reputable reference than a drunken brain dump from an old fart like me. But I'm pretty sure I'm right because I was so surprised that it stuck in my mind.

[frogmarch]

10. Here's one source, but

there are others too.

http://www.answers.com/topic/mitochondrial-dna

snip:

It has been reported that mitochondria can occasionally be inherited from the father <2> in some species such as mussels.<5> Paternally inherited mitochondria have also been reported in some insects such as the fruit fly<6> and the honeybee.<7>

Evidence supports rare instances of male mitochondrial inheritance in some mammals as well. Specifically, documented occurrences exist for mice,<8><9> where it was subsequently rejected. It has also been found in sheep,<10> and in cloned cattle.<11> It has been found in a single case in a human male and was linked to infertility<12>.

While many of these cases involve cloned embryos or subsequent rejection of the paternal mitochondria, others document in vivo inheritance and persistence under lab conditions.

[Mr. McD]

11. Thanks

"It has been found in a single case in a human male and was linked to infertility".

Rare indeed.

[Swamp Rat]

16. Heh heh!... ain't nobody gonna 'deeseyefer' my DNA!