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Posts Tagged ‘Neander Valley in Germany’

In 1997, the Neanderthal DNA test became a reality when DNA from the remnants of a Neanderthal was successfully extracted from the right humerus of a known Neanderthal skeleton. These remains were found in a cave in the Neander Valley in Germany. The bones itself were recovered in 1856 and are the property of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn.

Of the 3.5 gram sample that was taken, 379 different amino acid pair sequences were identified. What was found out was the Neanderthal DNA had 27 differences between itself and modern Homo sapiens.

With this information, it was determined that the Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had a common ancestor nearly 550,000 to 690,000 years ago. The two species then independently developed but still had limited contact with each other. There is evidence of trading between the two species as recent as 34,000 years ago in the remains at Arcy-sur-cure France.

The newest Neanderthal remnants are only 30,000 years old. The reason for their demise is still unclear, but remains found in a Croatian cave that was 38,000 years old showed signs of cannibalism.

It is thought that interbreeding of modern Homo sapiens and Neanderthals occurred between 45,000 and 80,000 years ago which is why there are remnants of their DNA in modern man. In 2010, it was reported that 1 to 4 percent of all non-African descendants have Neanderthal DNA present in their genome.

One of the commonalities of modern man and Neanderthals from the DNA is the ability to taste bitter objects, while 25% of modern humans cannot. This is thought to be an advantage since a bitter taste is associated with the toxicity level of many plants.

More and more is being discovered all the time. Since the first sample was extracted in 1997, more than 62,250 units have had a Neanderthal DNA test conducted on them and established their identity. In time, more commonalities will be released to the public.