All Non-Africans Part Neanderthal, Genetics Confirm

[cali]

If your heritage is non-African, you are part Neanderthal, according to a new study in the July issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution. Discovery News has been reporting on human/Neanderthal interbreeding for some time now, so this latest research confirms earlier findings.

Damian Labuda of the University of Montreal's Department of Pediatrics and the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center conducted the study with his colleagues. They determined some of the human X chromosome originates from Neanderthals, but only in people of non-African heritage.

"This confirms recent findings suggesting that the two populations interbred," Labuda was quoted as saying in a press release. His team believes most, if not all, of the interbreeding took place in the Middle East, while modern humans were migrating out of Africa and spreading to other regions.

<snip>

http://news.discovery.com/human/genetics-neanderthal-110718.html

[LondonReign2]

1. Some more than others

Explains Republicans for example...

[jwirr]

24. They are just descended from the early Neanderthals so not as

fully developed. :evilgrin:

[alfredo]

46. Rick Santorum in particular.

[Taverner]

2. Ha ha - I knew it

I never bought the "we ate them" theory on Neanderthals

[FLPanhandle]

8. Especially since they were smarter than us.

We were just the first immigration problem.

[Taverner]

10. Of course now I expect Neanderthal Revisionism on the part of White Scientists

It's natural

[spin]

13. Neanderthals did have a larger cranial capacity than we do ...

and some researchers believe that they might have been very intelligent.

Neanderthals Were Too Smart to Survive

How can we account for the fact that Neanderthals had bigger cranial capacity than Homo Sapiens but nonetheless they were eventually eliminated? Bigger cranial capacity is correlated with higher mental abilities, thus we are led into believing the Neanderthals were, on the average, smarter than us. How it is than that our ancestors managed to gradually eliminate them?

***snip***

Neanderthals were the first humans who buried their dead and they developed better stone tools. It was recently discovered that they also created art figures. However, during the same period of time Homo Sapiens developed much further and faster. Relative to Homo Sapiens' advances in stone tool making Neanderthals look like stagnating. In other words, although Neanderthals were definitely a great advance compared to Homo Erectus, their inventiveness was no match for the Homo Sapiens. But how do we resolve this with the fact that the Neanderthals were probably more intelligent than us?

We can restate the question more precisely: "How do we resolve this with the fact that the Neanderthal individual was probably more intelligent than a modern human individual?" The cranial capacity tells us something about the individuals' mental abilities, but it tells us almost nothing about the social aspects of life.
Studying the inventiveness of Homo Sapiens scientists have found that literally all the major innovations that have changed the way we live, from the use of fire, to agriculture, to writing etc., have developed only in a few places. For example agriculture appeared independently only in around seven places on the entire planet. All the rest of human populations that engaged in farming did it because they had learned it from somebody. Therefore, the most important aspect of inventiveness is not the ability to invent, but the ability to transmit and to preserve innovations.

***snip***

This gives us an important clue to why Neanderthals failed in the competition with Homo Sapiens. One of the most important means by which innovations are preserved and transmitted is language. Neanderthals had language themselves. This was proven in 1983 when a Neanderthal hyoid bone was found at the Kebara Cave in Israel. The hyoid is a small bone that holds the root of the tongue in place, a requirement to human speech and, therefore, its presence seems to imply some ability to speak. Recent studies found that due to the physical characteristics of Neanderthals' hyoid and the fact that their larynx was stouter than that of modern man, the average note emitted by Neanderthals were high pitched and sharper than that of modern man. This contradicts the stereotype of Neanderthals having ape-like grunts. However, the base of the Neanderthal tongue was positioned higher in the throat, crowding the mouth somewhat. As a result, Neanderthal speech would most likely have been slow-paced and nasalized.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Neanderthals-were-too-smart-to-survive-15264.shtml

[originalpckelly]

16. So, in other words, Neanderthals sounded like a drunk Fran Drescher.

God, if they'd had guns, they would have killed themselves off.

[spin]

27. If they actually were more intelligent than we are ...

they may have also been less violent.

If an alien civilization who has mastered interstellar travel ever visits our planet and watches human fighting wars, I doubt if they will consider us all that intelligent.

[Maru Kitteh]

29. OMG, get out of my head!

"So, in other words, Neanderthals sounded like a drunk Fran Drescher."

Very nearly my intended post, verbatim.

:rofl:

[thereismore]

32. "slow-paced and nasalized?" Like the American Southern accent? Makes sense. nt

[TalkingDog]

37. What does an American "Southern" accent sound like? I live in NC

and we have several regional dialects in this state alone.

So what's your point?

[thereismore]

45. There is a generalized American Southern accent, which is what they teach actors when they want to

speak with a southern accent. I am well aware of the variety that the South has in terms of accent, but in general, Southern accent is characterized by slower tempo. Some variants are nasal, some are not. The "redneck" accent is both slow and nasal. It is a stereotypical accent of a teabagger.

[TalkingDog]

54. Prove it.

There is a generalized American Southern accent, which is what they teach actors when they want to speak with a southern accent.

Otherwise you are just displaying your bigotry... well, you are displaying your bigotry anyway, but I'll shave off points if you back up your b.s. with some facts.

[thereismore]

56. OK, lookie here

http://www.fanboyplanet.com/ontv/dvd/mc-warnersuperheroes.php

"As quality entertainment, the episodes don't hold up very well. But as history, it's impressive how far the producers dug into DC continuity, going so far as to give Solomon Grundy a generalized southern accent."

A generalized southern accent is actually a somewhat derogative term that describes someone trying to sound Southern and not quite making it. I am well aware of the variety of accents in the South. There isn't "one" Southern accent - except in bad Hollywood films.

I don't need your points, but you could get your head out of your ass before you accuse me of bigotry.

[FLPanhandle]

31. "White Scientists"? Science isn't political nor racist

Science just is science.

People pick and choose or interpret science into political or racist agendas.

Global warming is science even though republicans think it is politics.
Neanderthal & humans genetically mixing is science even if racists what to spin it.

[Taverner]

33. Oh come on

- For one, Science hasn't always been just science. In fact, until recently, scientists were not admonished for bringing their own biases into the lab. How else could one explain the Eurocentric bias that was dominant until very recently.

- Second, it's kind of a joke - because the first idea that popped into my head when I read this news is that the Neanderthal will be described as "smarter than we thought" with its Caucasian connection. Yes, that's been scientific consensus for quite some time, but the media will suddenly "discover" all of these studies showing that the Neanderthal was intelligent. I guess my mistake was saying white scientists instead of white media

[Viva_La_Revolution]

11. I knew it back in jr high.. my science teacher had the brows of a neanderthal

Good looking guy actually, all the girls had a crush on him, and he was a good teacher. But it was very distracting as I had read Clan of the Cave Bear just the summer before...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. Of course, that's still true, but in another sense.

:evilgrin:

[originalpckelly]

22. Can you imagine bringing that home to mom?

What the fuck would our world be like if they had survived as a distinct species?

And how would you get along? Perhaps it's like two people who are human and don't speak the same language?

"Don't Talk Put Your Large Ape-Like Head On My Shoulder"?

[Taverner]

36. Neanderporn!

[Freddie Stubbs]

55. Just because early humans interbred with Neanderthals, doesn't mean they didn't eat some of them too

;)

[jpak]

3. ugh & ork!

:D

[Peacetrain]

4. Well if you ever saw my two brothers when they first got up in their teen years

ahh yep.. grunt grunt groan.. I think those two were complete throwbacks ;)

[11 Bravo]

5. Hell, Limbaugh alone is proof that some desperately horny half-wit once fucked a manatee.

[Gregorian]

14. Obviously the manatee gene is dominant.

Although that doesn't explain the puffing and hyping other half of his composition. Hyena?

[11 Bravo]

17. That, or asthmatic jackal.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

18. "Yeees my friends you have accurately described my origins!" nt

[Hawkowl]

47. Nonsense

Manatees are very gentle. Maybe he's crossed with an enraged hippopotamus?

[Gregorian]

49. I realized that too. But I had already posted. Poor manatees.

Maybe a rhino on a rampage.

[krispos42]

6. *grunts with interest*

n/t

[FLPanhandle]

7. Not really a surprise

We are the outcome of the first mixing bowl.

[Lost-in-FL]

9. No comments necessary.

:dilemma:

[guitar man]

12. "so easy a caveman could do it"

:spray:

[DawgHouse]

15. This is so interesting! Thanks for the link! n/t

[seabeyond]

20. i could look at my family and my husbands family and tell you that is true. lol. nt

[guitar man]

23. I wasn't going to mention my inlaws

But since you opened the door I have to walk through it! :silly:

[Marr]

21. I wonder why earlier studies suggested no link?

I remember reading about previous DNA studies that said there was no connection between Neanderthals and modern humans.

*Edit*-- Nevermind. I should've read the article before commenting, it seems. It's explained. lol

[dawg]

25. The racists will have a field day with this.

I'm just glad that *all* non-Africans have Neanderthal heritage. For a while, I thought it might just be me. :)

[XemaSab]

57. I'm looking into my crystal ball

and thinking that the racists are going to claim that the racial difference between Africans and non-Africans makes us "better." x(

[jwirr]

26. Okay, now I have to start researching that line in my family tree. What

am I supposed to do with the black members of my family?? Hope they all left some documentation. And of course they did - genes.

[MilesColtrane]

28. Finally, a scientific explanation for Johnny Damon!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2WOX4XdGruY/SgQ04UsxOPI/AAAAAAAAABg/q5FRB2xhhOs/s320/damon+2004.jpg

[-..__...]

61. Let's see them come up with a scientific explanation

for Nikolai Valuev

[pipi_k]

30. And all of us non-Africans have our own theme song too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlRXQEA0yj0


:7

[xchrom]

34. X-chromosome! Xchrom!

Coincidence? I think not.

[Riftaxe]

35. Well, that explains why I am able to braid

my back hair, i suppose... :P

[Old Troop]

38. I'm confused. Does that mean that some strands of humanity did

not originate in Africa or does it mean that after the Diaspora from Africa those who remained in the area now called Europe mated with Neanderthals and genetic material was exchanged?

[chowder66]

42. Out of Africa....

"This confirms recent findings suggesting that the two populations interbred," Labuda was quoted as saying in a press release. His team believes most, if not all, of the interbreeding took place in the Middle East, while modern humans were migrating out of Africa and spreading to other regions.

[Xithras]

62. No, all humans originated in Africa

As best as I currently understand it, here's what happened.

A bit over a half million years ago, there was a pre-human species called Homo Heidelbergensis. Some of them migrated north to Eurasia, while most of them remained in Africa. The Earth was still cycling through its ice ages, and it didn't take long for climactic change to isolate the two populations from each other.

The northern portion of Heidelbergensis rapidly adapted to its new colder environment, developing paler skin and a thicker body to better conserve heat. Eventually, this became a new species, Homo Neanderthalensis.

The southern portion of Heidelbergensis remained isolated in Africa, where it continued to evolve a much leaner body design that was designed to radiate heat and travel long distances. This eventually became a new species, Homo Sapiens Sapiens.

Eventually, the climate shifted again, and the migratory door reopened. When the first Homo Sapiens walked out of Africa, they immediately bumped into their closely related Homo Neanderthalensis cousins. This is simply stating that all non-Africans are the result of the interbreeding that occurred between the two species in the middle east, where they first came into contact with one another.

Because both species are the direct descendant of Homo Heidelbergensis, which itself evolved in Africa, this no way undercuts the Out Of Africa theory. It simply adds another chapter to the story.

[mmonk]

39. Explains a lot.

[Rex]

40. I have the Neanderthal brow/forehead.

I can feel the ridges between my eyesockets and my forehead.

[AverageJoe90]

41. Sorry, but I don't buy it.

Still a lotta junk science running around nowadays, and this seems to be one of those examples.

[ecstatic]

43. I wonder if American DNA leans more towards the neanderthal side

[Demeter]

53. Northern Europe Certainly Does

The Finns and Swedes have especially large, bony heads.

[Catherine Vincent]

44. Say it loud...

I'm proud I'm Neanderthal!

:-P

[Liquorice]

48. I knew they didn't die out! I never believed it for a second. nt

[guitar man]

50. I just emailed this to my wife

The next time she says I'm "acting like a Neanderthal" I'll just say "of course,I am a Neanderthal after all! What the hell do you want me to act like?"

:rofl:

[BNJMN]

51. Many scientists think 'humans' and 'neanderthals' were just subsets of the same species so...n/t

[Odin2005]

52. Well, that explains my thick brow.

:rofl:

[XemaSab]

58. So much for the idea

that race is just a social construct. x(

[tabasco]

59. YOG GOG TAK CHAK MOOBA!! N/T

[Xithras]

60. Jokes aside, it does make sense.

Computers have allowed us to more accurately figure out what the Neanderthals looked like.

Neanderthal woman:


Neanderthal man:


or



or



I would bet that half the people on this board would readily go on a date with either of these four if they were single, cleaned up properly, and sufficiently lonely.

[tabasco]

63. No,

but I'd like to have them on my football team!