Neanderthals and humans likely mixed and mingled during a narrow time frame 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday. Researchers analyzed ancient genes to pinpoint the time period, which is slightly more recent than previous estimates for the mating. Modern humans emerged in Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and eventually spread to Europe, Asia and … Read more
Part of the club? Research shows that many humans have Neanderthal DNA. People with European or Asian backgrounds have 1% to 2% and as much as 4% if they are from East Asia — thanks to human-Neanderthal interbreeding. Because Neanderthals likely evolved outside of Africa, some African populations have almost no Neanderthal DNA. Now, a genetic engineer is … Read more
Poor Neanderthals just couldn’t catch a break. Our ancient ancestors, who probably died out through inbreeding, passed along genes that are still present in modern-day humans. Research now finds that those Neanderthal genes also gave some people an increased risk for “Viking disease,” also known as Dupuytren’s contracture. The condition causes the fingers of one … Read more