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Humans Having Sex With Neanderthals Gave Us Protection Against Ancient Epidemics (sciencealert.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ScienceAlert: A new study argues that we have Neanderthals to thank for helping us cope with the viral tides we encountered as we marched around the globe. Stanford University researchers have identified DNA sequences that evolved in our ancient cousins can produce antivirus proteins, which more than likely gave some human populations the edge they needed to survive. Roughly 1 percent of our genome's coding was written in Neanderthal populations. But this is a broad average -- many families with African ancestry have zero, for instance, while other populations boast as much as 2 percent or more. So the question is how much of this difference comes down to the random drift of DNA being passed on around the globe, and how much is due to natural selection giving those with Neanderthal genes an advantage?
To build a case one way or another, the Stanford researchers put together a list of just over 4,500 virus-interacting proteins (VIP) made by our genome. These were all matched against a database of Neanderthal DNA that could be found in modern East Asian and European human populations, providing 152 VIP genes shared by both groups of human. Interestingly, all of these VIP genes were of a variety that interacted with RNA viruses -- pathogens that include influenza A, hepatitis C, and HIV. This isn't to say these viruses were problems for ancient humans, but rather that similar RNA viruses were more than likely prevalent enough to shape our evolution. The discovery supports a view of genetic exchange described as the 'poison-antidote' model.
To build a case one way or another, the Stanford researchers put together a list of just over 4,500 virus-interacting proteins (VIP) made by our genome. These were all matched against a database of Neanderthal DNA that could be found in modern East Asian and European human populations, providing 152 VIP genes shared by both groups of human. Interestingly, all of these VIP genes were of a variety that interacted with RNA viruses -- pathogens that include influenza A, hepatitis C, and HIV. This isn't to say these viruses were problems for ancient humans, but rather that similar RNA viruses were more than likely prevalent enough to shape our evolution. The discovery supports a view of genetic exchange described as the 'poison-antidote' model.
Nah, there's no way this is going to be controversial. ;)
Ezekiel 23:20
Some homo sapiens sapiens couldn't get a date some evening, but there was always their Neanderthal friend for evenings like that
Bruce Perens.
On the other hand it could be the evil democratic humans raping the kindly humane neaderthals. Or on the other hand it could be the evil nazi neaderthals raping the friendly humans.
Point is before we can evaluate this scientific story we need to determine which political party the Neaderthals and humans represented. Once we know the correct political affiliations we can scientifically detemermine how to evaluate the news story.
Your political party is gay, mine rocks.
Only by killing and destroying everyone who does not believe in the correct political party can we ensure people and puppies can live free in a wholesome loving society. Remeber, if someone does not agrre 100 percent with the beliefs that were given to you by the society you grew up on they are evil and must be killed. Hooray for our side. The side of justice, love, civility, and puppies. That is right. If you dont subscribe to my party and its universal truths, you want to kill puppies.