The Neanderthal Romeo And Human Juliet Hypothesis

[Moontanman]

The Neanderthal Romeo and Human Juliet hypothesis

 

 

Scientists have had trouble reconciling data from analyses of human mitochondrial DNA and the male Y chromosome. Analyses of human mitochondrial DNA indicate that we all share a common female ancestor 170,000 years ago. Analyses of the Y chromosome indicate that we share a common male ancestor 59,000 years ago (Thomson et al. 2000). How can we account for the idea that our common grandmother is 111,000 years older than our common grandfather? Have we found evidence for the world’s oldest cougar, or is there a hypothesis (other than blaming it on statistical anomalies) that could potentially reconcile these two dates? Perhaps we are given a clue in recent findings that a small percentage of human DNA is Neanderthal. Against popular belief (NOVA), Neanderthals did not go extinct without contributing somehow to the gene pool of modern humans.

 

 

http://blogs.plos.org/neuroanthropology/2010/10/26/the-neanderthal-romeo-and-human-juliet-hypothesis/