Are you famous, ancient or neanderthal?

[Pleroma]

These are links to the information with the answers:

Famous DNA

http://www.isogg.org/famousdna.htm

Ancient DNA

http://www.isogg.org/ancientdna.htm

Neanderthal DNA

http://www.isogg.org/neanderthaldna.htm

[Bob Swinea]

My son refers to me as an infamous ancient neanderthal

[Jim Barrett]

Yes. Or no!

[Elistariel]

Isn't Neanderthal impossible for a choice? I remember seeing on TV some scientists testing DNA to see if humans and neanderthals had a common ancestor, they didn't. No common DNA was found. Well, something like that.

[lgmayka]

I remember seeing on TV some scientists testing DNA to see if humans and neanderthals had a common ancestor, they didn't. No common DNA was found. Well, something like that.

That was an oversimplification. Since our genetic 'trees' for yDNA and mtDNA are rooted in East Africa, it is pretty clear that no living human descends from a Neanderthal along the strict patrilineal or strict matrilineal line. Statistical simulations indicate that these 'restrictions' severely limit the probability of any early admixture with hominins ('archaic' humans)--but they do not rule it out entirely.

Other studies actually indicate that some very ancient gene mutations appear to have an origin outside Africa. This implies some (perhaps small) degree of admixture. It has even been suggested that humans venturing into other continents might even have deliberately admixed themselves in order to acquire gene mutations adapted for other climates--the same way a seed farmer or livestock breeder might.

You might ask, How can admixture occur while maintaining strictly human patrilineal and matrilineal lines? Well, consider a human family whose daughter is carried off by a Neanderthal male. The Neanderthal impregnates her, and she gives birth. If the baby is a male, the Neanderthal takes him away, leaving the young woman to go back to her parents. But if the baby is a girl, the Neanderthal walks off alone, and the young woman and her baby girl return to the human parents.

This baby girl maintains the human mitochondrial line, yet carries some Neanderthal autosomes. If the baby girl exhibits adaptive characteristics useful to the human tribe, she will marry and have children, some of whom may also exhibit those desirable characteristics. The useful gene mutation thereby spreads throughout the human community over time.

[Jim Denning]

These are links to the information with the answers:

Famous DNA

http://www.isogg.org/famousdna.htm

Ancient DNA

http://www.isogg.org/ancientdna.htm

Neanderthal DNA

http://www.isogg.org/neanderthaldna.htm

SO MUCH FOR CREDITABILTY


mtDNA Sequences From "The Lost Tomb of Jesus"

mtDNA extracted from human remains contained in two ossuaries recovered from the Talpiot tomb in Jerusalem; one ossuary labeled "Jesus" and the other labeled "Mariamene e Mara" provided conclusive evidence that the two individuals did not share a common maternal line ancestor. (Source)

Name Haplo Haplotype
Jesus ? 16270G 16278T
Mariamene e Mara ? 16290G


The DNA Saga of King Tut

[terence]

Eighty years ago

Isn't Neanderthal impossible for a choice? I remember seeing on TV some scientists testing DNA to see if humans and neanderthals had a common ancestor, they didn't. No common DNA was found. Well, something like that.

H.G. Wells wrote in "Outline of History" that Neanderthal ancestry for 20th century population of Homo Sapiens was not a possibility.

Was he just guessing? He appears to have it right---and his words were published in 1920's!

[FredSpringer]

More in the Infamous Category

Bill Clinton's DNA was tested. I wonder if those results are public record.

[melissa]

Hmm... they might be public but maybe not identified? or not easily found? Do you have CLINTON in your lines, Fred? I should check all my surnames but still haven't gotten around to it.

Someone on the DNA list mentioned TOLIVER the other day and I checked in the projects. There is one that covers Toliver as a variant spelling, and there are 8 Tolivers but they don't have a public webpage, AND the project manager didn't reply to my email. That's just frustrating

And while I'm ranting, we still have a 13-25 marker test from batch 187 that isn't back yet.. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

[Kaiser]

Latest on Human-Neanderthal mating on National Geographic News:

"An early modern human from China dated to about 40,000 years ago adds to evidence that the first Homo sapiens sapiens occasionally mated with older human species such as Neandertals."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070403-china-human.html

[TimeKiller]

my ex

I think I went out with a girl that was part neanderthal.