Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Deciphering the DNA Code of Neanderthal Man

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hey-good-buddy dept.

smooth wombat writes "U.S. and German scientists have embarked on a two-year long project to map the genetic code of Neanderthal man. Their hope is to gain a greater understanding of how modern human brains evolved. This study comes after last years completion of mapping the DNA of chimpanzees, our closest living relative." From the article: "Over two years, the scientists aim to reconstruct a draft of the 3 billion building blocks of the Neanderthal genome -- working with fossil samples from several individuals. They face the complication of working with 40,000-year-old samples, and of filtering out microbial DNA that contaminated them after death. Only about 5 percent of the DNA in the samples is actually Neanderthal DNA, Egholm estimated, but he and Rothberg said pilot experiments had convinced them that the decoding was feasible."

12 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Sheesh.. by vancondo · · Score: 5, Funny

    You people, with your 'facts' and 'figures'.. 40,000 year old samples?!

    ridiculous.

    Everybody knows that the earth is only 27 years old.

    --
    -
  2. Sweet by CtrlPhreak · · Score: 2, Funny

    We can have those cavemen all cloned and show up like in the geico comemrcials!

    It'll be great they can be all hairy and be pissed off at the world. Kinda reminds me of my neighbor...

    --
    WikiAfterDark.com It's a sex wiki, go now!
  3. And No... by Chatmag · · Score: 1, Funny

    Neanderthal man did not run on Linux.

    --
    Pete Carr Owner Chatmag.com
    1. Re:And No... by monopole · · Score: 2, Funny

      Of course they ran Windows NE (Neanderthal Edition)

  4. This is going to end badly by iambarry · · Score: 3, Funny

    Didn't I see this in a movie?

    Maybe scientists should get out more. First they sequence the Neanderthals DNA. Next, they'll be cloning one. Then the clone's start multiplying. Finally they take over the earth. Isn't this obvious to anyone else, or is it just me?

    1. Re:This is going to end badly by LukePieStalker · · Score: 1, Funny

      They've already taken over Washington.

  5. According to their digestive enzymes... by jpellino · · Score: 5, Funny

    .. they lived almost exclusively on a diet of roast duck with mango salsa.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  6. After decoding by dreadlord76 · · Score: 2, Funny

    They will superimpose the DNA image on current human DNA, and find the following message:

    "We apologize for all the inconveniences"

  7. Re:I wish they would instead do something more use by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

    . . . if they ever find the neantherthal DNA, if it exists.

    I might suggest they have a look around my neighbor's house.

    KFG

  8. Gene Pool by frosty_tsm · · Score: 2, Funny

    These guys were kicked out of the gene pool thousands of years ago. Don't risk letting them back in!

  9. Closest living relative? by Bryansix · · Score: 3, Funny
    chimpanzees, our closest living relative.

    I don't know about you guys but my closest living relative is probably my mother or maybe my father.
  10. A Hearty DNA Welcome by UpShot · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our Neandertal DNA overlords.