Student no. 100280379
Course: ANTH 1131
Instructor: Lisa Ferguson
Assignment: Did Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens interbreed?
It is true that homo neanderthalensis and homo sapiens interbred. It can be explained based on the study of the genome of Neanderthal. Neanderthal is the extinct species of the genus Homo whose fossils were first discovered in Neander valley in Germany, hence named as Neanderthal. This species of the genus Homo is closely related to the modern humans. It was seen from the analysis of mtDNA of both the species that both the species of the genus Homo shared the common ancestors and that was Homo heidelbergensis (The origins, evolution and dispersal of modern people, 2013). As …show more content…
But, this study can not be the contradiction to other studies. As this shows that some of the Neanderthals interbred with Homo sapiens, not all (Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans… did they interbreed?, 2014). From the numerous studies done for the explaining of the interbreeding concept, there was the genetic study of both the species which reveals that the DNA of modern humans is 99.7 percent identical to those of the DNA of Neanderthals. All these conclusions made by the researchers was done only after comparing the genomes of five humans from five different regions of the world, western Africa, southern Africa, France, China and Papua New Guinea. These comparisons of five humans were made with the blueprints of Neanderthals’ female, which provide us with the information that those people who are living outside of Africa has the DNA from Neanderthals. There was one more archaeological evidence for the overlapping of both the species for one time which shows us the clear results for the questions of interbreeding of Homo neanderthalensis with Homo sapiens (Than, 2010) (Saey, 2013).
So, it can be concluded from the several evidences, that, Homo Neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens did interbreed. Also, the comparisons were made between both the species that depicts the evolving of the humans to become the living hominid species. This it can not be …show more content…
(2014, February 20). Retrieved from https://thinklearnlive.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/homo-sapiens-neanderthals-and-denisovans-did-they-interbreed/: https://thinklearnlive.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/homo-sapiens-neanderthals-and-denisovans-did-they-interbreed/
Jha, A. (2012, August 14). Study casts doubt on human-Neanderthal interbreeding theory. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/aug/14/study-doubt-human-neanderthal-interbreeding
Saey, T. H. (2013, September 23). Neandertal genome yields evidence of interbreeding with humans. Retrieved from Science News: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/neandertal-genome-yields-evidence-interbreeding-humans
Slezak, M. (2014, October 22). Thoroughly modern humans interbred with Neanderthals. Retrieved from New Scientist: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26435-thoroughly-modern-humans-interbred-with-neanderthals/
Than, K. (2010, May 08). Neanderthals, Humans Interbred-First Solid DNA Evidence. Retrieved from National Geographic: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100506-science-neanderthals-humans-mated-interbred-dna-gene/
The origins, evolution and dispersal of modern people. (2013). In C. S. Larsen, Essentials of Physical Anthropology: discovering our origins, third edition (pp. 307-349). W. W. NORTON & COMPANY NEW YORK, LONDON