Neanderthals Genetic Role in Modern Human DNA

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Introduction

“We cannot despair of humanity, since we ourselves are human beings.” (Albert Einstein) There is no question we are human beings as Einstein stated, but with new genetic research what it means to be a human being is constantly evolving. In one aspect of how we are evolving our understanding of ourselves as human being is the debated issue of whether or not Homo Neanderthalensis provided any genetic material to the human genome. There are just three sides to the debate; Neanderthals left no genetic material behind in modern humans, Only Europeans came straight from Neanderthals and finally Neanderthals contributed a minimal amount of genetic material to overall humans. (Krings, Stone 1997) Each of these three sides has some scientific evidence as support and with new techniques to recover DNA from the fossil of Neanderthal each side is a nucleotide away from solving the enigma question of does any modern human carry genetic material of the extinct species Homo Neanderthalensis.

Why is Matters

It matters because to fully understand ourselves to must understand the parts that make us humans. And whether or not if Neanderthal contributed to our gene pools is just a part of that understanding. If Neanderthal did contribute than that opens up for more research on to what they did contributed such as language, skin color, and more. There is also a curiosity factor among humans that wanted to know everything about themselves, and the world around us. And just knowing the possibility that humans carry the DNA of an extinct species drives that curiosity beyond bonkers. Finally it’s important for the soul of the humans to know that we wiped out the Neanderthals directly or indirectly but we were friendly enough to mat...

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... 193.2593 (2007): 28-32.

McKie, Robin. "Why did the Neanderthals die out?." The Observer. Guardian News and Media, 2 June 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. .

Klein, Richard G. "Whither the Neanderthals?." Science 299.5612 (2003): 1525-1527.

Höss, Matthias. "Ancient DNA: Neanderthal population genetics." Nature 404.6777 (2000): 453-454.

Green, Richard E., et al. "Analysis of one million base pairs of Neanderthal DNA." Nature 444.7117 (2006): 330-336.

Currat, Mathias, and Laurent Excoffier. "Strong reproductive isolation between humans and Neanderthals inferred from observed patterns of introgression." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108.37 (2011): 15129-15134.

Krings, Matthias, et al. "Neandertal DNA sequences and the origin of modern humans." cell 90.1 (1997): 19-30.

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