Did you know that our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, might have had more in common with us than we thought? 🌟
A groundbreaking study by scientists from Southeast University in Nanjing and Princeton University has unveiled fascinating evidence of genetic mixing between modern humans and Neanderthals.
Neanderthals, who roamed Europe and Western Asia between 400,000 and 30,000 years ago, coexisted with early modern humans traveling from Africa to the Middle East. Picture this: two human species sharing the same landscapes, hunting, gathering, and perhaps even exchanging more than just survival tips! 🏹🔥
The research team developed an innovative method to detect human-introgressed sequences in the Neanderthal genome. By analyzing whole-genome data from 2,000 contemporary humans and three Neanderthals, they discovered that Neanderthal genomes contain between 2.5% and 3.7% of genetic sequences originating from modern humans.
But that's not all! The study also revealed that Neanderthals had a smaller population size than previously thought—about 20% less. This smaller gene pool might have led to the accumulation of harmful mutations.
Interestingly, the team suggests that there were two distinct waves of gene flow from modern humans to Neanderthals, occurring around 200,000 and 100,000 years ago. It's like ancient humans and Neanderthals had periodic meetups over the millennia! 🤝
These findings hint at a rich and complex history between our species and Neanderthals, one that ultimately saw Neanderthals being absorbed into the modern human gene pool. It's a reminder that the story of humanity is full of unexpected twists and turns, with threads connecting us to our ancient past more intimately than we imagined. 🧬🌍
So next time you look in the mirror, remember—you might be carrying a piece of Neanderthal history within you! 🪞✨
Reference(s):
Scientists identify gene flow of modern humans with Neanderthals
cgtn.com
