Genome of Neandertals Reveals Inbreeding 109
sciencehabit writes "In a report on the most complete genome of a Neandertal ever sequenced, an international team of researchers has found that the parents of a Neandertal woman from Siberia were as closely related as half-siblings. The genome also shows that at some point the Neandertals interbred with other human groups, including their cousins the Denisovans, and our own modern human ancestors. There are even signs of Denisovans interbreeding with a mysterious archaic species. In all, the study suggests very close encounters among the several kinds of hominins living in the past 125,000 years. The detailed genome of the extinct Neandertals—our closest relatives—also offers a new look at the genetic differences that set our species apart from all the others."
Re:NeandertHal get it right (Score:5, Informative)
Whar's mah karmah?
Re:Inbreeding? In a Small Tribe? I'm SHOCKED! (Score:2, Informative)
The summary clearly states inTERbreeding, the title turned it into inbreeding which is more or less the opposite. But this is Slashdot where the editors can't write and the posters can't read.
Hmmm who can't read?
Source article:
"Paabo and his colleagues could tell that this Siberian Neandertal was the product of inbreeding and that her ancestors also chose their mates from their extended family. This suggests that this Neandertal woman came from a small, isolated population, the team reports online today in Nature."
Abstract Here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12886.html
" mating among close relatives was common among her recent ancestors"
Yes, the article also discusses interbreeding.
Re:Some Indians called *themselves* Indians (Score:4, Informative)
Not really any such thing as an "Indian"
Then explain Inde, the Apache people's name for themselves before U.S. westward expansion.
While that may be true, it was Columbus who referred to the indigenous people of the Americas as Indians, erroneously thinking he had made it to the Indian Ocean. Even after people realized it was an error, the name stuck (which is why we also have the Carribean called the West Indies). Columbus, never met an Apache, so it is unlikely that Indie or whatever word they had for themselves factored in. If they were using this term prior to the end of the 15th century, then it is coincidence. If use of that term came later, then it is likely they adopted it from early encounters with various European groups.