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Neanderthals "Had Sex" With Modern Man

Posted by samzenpus on from the strange-bedfellows dept.

According to Professor Svante Paabo, director of genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Neanderthals and modern humans had sex across the species barrier. The professor has been using DNA retrieved from fossils to piece together the entire Neanderthal genome, and plans on publishing his findings soon. He recently told a conference that he was sure the two species had had sex, but still had questions as to how "productive" the relations had been. "What I'm really interested in is, did we have children back then and did those children contribute to our variation today?" he said. "I'm sure that they had sex, but did it give offspring that contributed to us? We will be able to answer quite rigorously with the new [Neanderthal genome] sequence." What remains a mystery is what Paleolithic brewery provided the catalyst for these stone age hook-ups.

2 of 536 comments (clear)

  1. Scientific? by Dan+East · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "I'm sure that they had sex"

    What evidence? The article says:

    "We will be able to answer quite rigorously with the new [Neanderthal genome] sequence."

    "Due to the length of time that has elapsed since Neanderthals became extinct, any trace of their DNA in modern humans could have been diluted below detectable levels. Paabo hopes to overcome this by scanning the Neanderthal genome for the genes of modern humans."

    Okay, he hopes he will be able to overcome this technical limitation. So in other words, the statement that they had sex is just his personal opinion?

    --
    Better known as 318230.
    1. Re:Scientific? by interkin3tic · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "I'm sure that they had sex"

      What evidence? The article says:

      "We will be able to answer quite rigorously with the new [Neanderthal genome] sequence."

      He's -sure- of his hypothesis. You think scientists don't become convinced of our own hypotheses before we have actual evidence? We do. I've been quite convinced of my own hypotheses and even occasionally ignored evidence that suggests I'm wrong, much to my later regret. I'm sure every scientist, and probably everyone else as well, has committed similar sins at some point.