Genome Analysis Reveals Neanderthals Interbred with Ancient Humans

Neanderthals may not be as extinct as we thought they were. These ancient hominins may live on in our DNA. Researchers have discovered that Neanderthals once interbred with humans after conducting a genome analysis.

Before now, researchers haven't been able to establish whether or not humans had Neanderthal DNA. Yet a new technique has now allowed them to more confidently detect genetic signatures of interbreeding. This, in particular, will help future genetic studies.

"Our approach can distinguish between two subtly different scenarios that could explain the genetic similarities shared by Neanderthals and modern humans from Europe and Asia," said Konrad Lohse, the study co-author, in a news release.

In fact, the new information allows the researchers to determine which of two theories are correct. The first scenario is that Neanderthals occasionally interbred with modern humans after they migrated out of Africa. The alternative scenario is that the humans who left Africa evolved from the same ancestral subpopulation that had given rise to Neanderthals. Now it looks like the researchers have their answer.

"Because the method makes maximum use of the information contained in individual genomes, it is particularly exciting for revealing the history of species that are rare or extinct," said Lohse in a news release.

That said, you shouldn't read too much into the fact that the new study estimates a slightly higher genetic contribution of Neanderthals to modern humans. Estimating the contribution is complex, and is likely to vary slightly between approaches. That said, the new study is still a huge step forward when it comes to understanding the genetic history of species.

"This work is important because it closes a hole in the argument about whether Neanderthals interbred with humans. And the method can be applied to understanding the evolutionary history of other organisms, including endangered species," said Mark Johnston, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Genetics, in a news release.

The findings are published in the journal Genetics.