Neanderthals went extinct 40,000 years ago, but never before has there been more DNA from them than today

Neanderthals have served as a reflection of our own humanity since they were discovered in 1856. What we think we know about them has been shaped to fit our cultural trends, social norms, and scientific standards. Diseased specimens were considered. Then our primitive subhuman cousins. Now no one doubts that they were advanced humans. Homo neanderthalensis was very similar to us, we live with them, we cross paths frequently. Neanderthals went extinct, while we survived, flourished and eventually took over the planet Neanderthals evolved more than 400,000 years ago, probably from Homo heidelbergensis. They were very successful and spread from the Mediterranean to Siberia. They were highly intelligent, with brains on average larger than those of Homo sapiens. They developed big game hunting strategies, gathered plants, mushrooms, and shellfish, controlled fires for cooking, made composite tools, dressed in animal skins, made shell beads, and were able to carve symbols on cave walls. They cared for their young, old and sick, created shelters to protect themselves, endured harsh winters and hot summers, and buried their dead. Neanderthals met our ancestors numerous times over tens of thousands of years. The two species shared the European continent for at least 14,000 years. They even had sex. The death of a species The most significant difference between Neanderthals and our species is that they became extinct about 40,000 years ago. The exact cause of his disappearance is still elusive to us, but it was probably the result of a combination of factors. Firstly, the climate of the last ice age was highly variable, going from cold to extreme heat and back again, which put pressure on the food sources of animals and plants and meant that Neanderthals had to constantly adapt to environmental changes. . Second, there were never many Neanderthals, since the total population never exceeded tens of thousands of people. They lived in small groups, from five to 15 individuals, compared to Homo sapiens who formed groups of up to 150 individuals. These small isolated Neanderthal populations may have become increasingly unsustainable genetically. Third, they had to compete with other predators, particularly the groups of modern humans that emerged from Africa around 60,000 years ago. We believe that many Neanderthals may have been assimilated into the larger bands of Homo sapiens. Where are the tests? Neanderthals left numerous footprints for us to examine tens of thousands of years later, many of which can be seen in the special exhibition we’ve helped curate at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. Over the past 150 years we have collected fossil bones, stone and wooden tools, found trinkets and jewelry left behind, discovered burial sites, and now mapped their genome from ancient DNA. It seems that 99.7% of the DNA of Neanderthals and modern humans is identical and there is no doubt that they are our closest extinct relatives. Perhaps most surprising is the evidence of interbreeding that has left traces of Neanderthal DNA in humans alive today. Many Europeans and Asians have between 1% and 4% Neanderthal DNA. The only modern humans without a genetic trace of Neanderthals are the African populations located south of the Sahara. Ironically, with a current world population of about 8 billion people, this means that there has never been more Neanderthal DNA on Earth. Analysis of the Neanderthal genome helps us understand their appearance better, as there is evidence that some evolved pale skin and red hair long before Homo sapiens. The many genes that Neanderthals and modern humans share are related to everything from the ability to taste bitter foods to the ability to speak. We have also increased our knowledge of human health. For example, some of the Neanderthal DNA that might have been beneficial to humans tens of thousands of years ago now appears to cause problems when combined with a modern Western lifestyle. There are links to alcoholism, obesity, allergies, blood clotting, and depression. Scientists recently suggested that an ancient Neanderthal genetic variant could increase the risk of serious complications from contracting covid-19. Holding a mirror Like the dinosaurs, the Neanderthals didn’t know what to expect. The difference is that the dinosaurs suddenly disappeared after the impact of a giant meteorite from outer space. The extinction of the Neanderthals occurred gradually. They ended up losing their world, a comfortable home that they had successfully occupied for hundreds of thousands of years, and which slowly turned against them, until mere existence was untenable. Desktop Code Image for mobile, amp and app Mobile Code AMP Code APP Code Neanderthals now have a different purpose. We see our reflection in them. They did not know what was happening to them and they had no choice but to continue down the path that ultimately led to their extinction. We, on the other hand, are painfully aware of our situation and the impact we have on this planet. Human activity is changing the climate and is leading us directly to a sixth mass extinction. We can reflect on the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into and do something about it. MORE INFORMATION noticia No A subtle change in a single gene allowed modern humans to generate more neurons than Neanderthals noticia No The Neanderthal brain grew faster and made more mistakes If we don’t want to end up like the Neanderthals, we better get our act together and Let’s work collectively for a more sustainable future. The extinction of the Neanderthals reminds us that we should never take our existence for granted. This article was originally published on ‘The Conversation’. ABOUT the author Trine Kellberg Nielsen Associate Professor of Prehistoric Archeology at Aarhus University. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Maslin Professor at University College London. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peter C. Kjærgaard Professor at the University of Copenhagen and the Natural History Museum of Denmark.