Discovery provides direct evidence that humans emerged from a common ancestor with Neanderthals hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Now, in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, researchers say that their discovery provides direct evidence that humans emerged from a common ancestor with Neanderthals hundreds of thousands of years ago.
“The discovery should answer the central question in contemporary evolutionary biology: Could humans have evolved with Neanderthals in Europe? What we mean is, ‘If Neanderthals were here, why did they come to Europe?’ ” explained James V. Tansley, a biologist at Harvard University and co-author (with Tansley and David D. Lipkin of Emory University) of an accompanying paper in the journal.
The team of researchers discovered the link between the two in an archaeological site in southeastern Siberia.
“This is a fascinating find because it shows how Neanderthals became the first humanoid species in this part of the world, and how it changed how we look at the evolution of humans” David D. Lipkin told the Counterfeit.
The scientists say they believe the Neanderthal genes are present in humans today. They say that by measuring variations in chromosomes and DNA, they can identify how old someone was when they died.
The team also wants to know if they can discover the molecular signature of a gene that helped humans become more sophisticated at hunting.
Trentington Huxtable is an editor and science reporter at The Counterfeit. He holds a degree in Arts and Sciences and a Masters in Journalism from Harvard University. When he doesn’t write, or write, he writes stories to entertain and amuse. His writing have contributed to sites like Gawker and Kotaku Australia.
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