These findings hint that Neanderthals did not coexist with modern humans as long as previously suggested, investigators added.
Posted on 02/05/2013 1:16:36 PM PST by Pharmboy
The last Neanderthals had passed by southern Iberia quite earlier than previously thought.
Neanderthals may have died out earlier than before thought, researchers say.
These findings hint that Neanderthals did not coexist with modern humans as long as previously suggested, investigators added.
Modern humans once shared the planet with now-departed human lineages, including the Neanderthals, our closest known extinct relatives. However, there has been heated debate over just how much time and interaction, or interbreeding, Neanderthals had with modern humans.
To help solve the mystery, an international team of researchers investigated 215 bones previously excavated from 11 sites in southern Iberia, in an area known as Spain today. Neanderthals entered Europe before modern humans did, and prior research had suggested the last of the Neanderthals held out in southern Iberia until about 35,000 years ago, potentially sharing the region with modern humans for thousands of years.
Their data suggest that modern humans and Neanderthals may have actually lived in the area at completely different times, never crossing paths there at all. Even so, these findings do not call into question whether modern humans and Neanderthals once had sex — the findings simply indicate this interbreeding must have occurred earlier, before modern humans entered Europe.
"The genetic evidence for interbreeding — 1 to 4 percent Neanderthal DNA in present-day modern humans — suggests that interbreeding probably occurred before the period we are looking at in the Levant, the region around Israel and Syria, when modern humans first migrated out of Africa," researcher Rachel Wood, an archaeologist and radiocarbon specialist at Australian National University in Canberra, told LiveScience.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
“Oh, the (near) humanity,” ping...
Earlier than who thought? Not me; I never thought about them at all.
A couple of them are still alive....and the live in house in Washington D.C....
I once had a business partner who was a Neanderthal.
Not true. They remain among us today, and one of them writes a column concerning economics for the NY Times.
Another, more primitive predecessor seems to have visited the villages though.
Today humanity appears to be divided into modern humans with Neanderthal ancestry and those without. Those with OWN EVERYTHING and think up all the new stuff.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this was politically inspired faux science.
The left does not like the proven facts that Neanderthal and Cromagnun interbred to make the true European human. They want the African thing to be in the forefront.
Beat me by a minute
I notice that this story is written with a theme that is the same as all similar stories- that the news today is being discussed in terms that now we understand and we are so certain that now we are correct and how could we possibly have believed what we said was the truth in the distant past, like last week. We are so much more advanced today and know so much more, don’t we?
Did I ask how we could have possibly believed all the stuff we said previously was the truth? Well it was, but everyone who knows better knows that we are telling the truth this time.
The CroMagnon men killed all the Neanderthal men and raped all the Neanderthal women. That is when paper bags were invented by the CroMagnons.
Just wait till they demand reparations...
Now THAT’S funny...
Today humanity appears to be divided into modern humans with Neanderthal ancestry and those without. Those with OWN EVERYTHING and think up all the new
My guess is you are not far of, seems to me that creation was an ongoing project,new and improved models made and older ones discarded, some of wich survived as rebuild with some newer parts, mix and mach as it were LOL
Proud owner of Neanderthal DNA (2.7% of my total, and I’ve also got the brow ridges to prove it phgenotypically).
...followed closely by the 2-bag practice, i.e., one over your head in case hers falls off.....
Thank you very much, I’ll be here all week, remember to tip your waitress....
Most likely ~ no idea what it looks like to the other side, but on this side it looks like replacement models and cannibalism for parts.
“phgenotypically” ... I think you have a spelling error there you Neanderthal :-P ...
I need to get one of those tests ... I’m damn curious to see what I’m made of ... I’m hoping most of it is “unknown” or “related to Laz” :-).
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