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Similarities between modern day humans and neanderthals
Similarities between modern day humans and neanderthals
Similarities between modern day humans and neanderthals
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Based on certain morphological bone structure and the presence of bipedal locomotion in Neanderthals has made it possible to classify them as part of Modern Humans’ family tree/ phylogenetic tree. The time of their existence also contributes to this classification; making Neanderthals the closest related Hominids to modern humans (Noonan, 2010: 547). However, even with that acknowledgment, there are constant debates about Neanderthals relationship to modern humans and if they are the direct ancestors of what we considered modern Europeans, if they contributed some genes to our species, modern humans, or if they were fully replaced by modern humans without gene contribution (Krings et. al., 1997: 19).
These debates have brought up many studies
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Not only was the data compared to human DNA but with chimpanzee DNA, in order to see the closeness or related ness to modern humans. Results based on Krings’ study show “that Neanderthal sequence diverged from the lineage leading to the current human mtDNA gene pool well before the time of the most recent common ancestor of human mtDNAs” (1997: 25). Based on the results from this sequencing they continue to support the idea that modern humans as a species started in Africa as a different species; which then replaced Neanderthals with little to no interbreeding (Krings et. al., 1997: …show more content…
We can also assume that since the modern human species diverged after the Neanderthal species, the modern human species took over and was one of the major competitors to Neanderthals as supposed to interbreeding with them. In addition, we can also say that there was an abundance of modern human species in comparison to Neanderthals allowing modern humans the best opportunity to reproduce within any given period, passing on favorable variations. Darwin’s theory of natural selection (1859) supports this assumption when he
Paabo’s team discovered an mtDNA sequence from a finger bone they found from around 40,000 years ago, as carbon dating is one of the most commonly used methods of determining a fossil’s age. (Hammer, 70). Also, Neanderthal mtDNA is differs severely from modern human mtDNA. For example, Microcephalin is a gene for brain size during the development of the organism.
Wilford, J. (2004).Another Branch of Early Human Ancestors Is Reported by Scientists. [Online], March. Available at: http://gateway.proquest.com [Accessed 28 March 2004].
Chimpanzees make tools and use them to procure foods and for social exhibitions; they have refined hunting tactics requiring collaboration, influence and rank; they are status cognizant, calculating and capable of trickery; they can learn to use symbols and understand facets of human language including some interpersonal composition, concepts of number and numerical sequence and they are proficient in spontaneous preparation for a future state or event.
It is said that the humanoid existence begins in Africa. It is no coincidence that Africa is also the home to Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, and Bonobos, Pan paniscus. These are humans’ two closest living relatives, both sharing almost 99% of the human genome through common descent. While humans were said to have separated from Chimpanzees around 5-7 million years ago , Bonobos separated from its Chimp cousins around 2 million years ago . Bonobos inhabit a single part of Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo South of the Congo River, unlike the Chimpanzee, which inhabits Across West- and Central Africa, with remaining populations distributed over several countries. While these two apes where once thought to be the same species, up until the beginning of the 20th century , there are many differences socially, as well as physically, that make Bonobos more than a Pygmy Chimp. With disparities in morphology, behavior, perhaps even emotions and cognition, and known as the “make love, not war chimp” , how can this ape be so vastly different from its notoriously violent Pan cousin, but yet share the same amount of similar DNA to Homo sapiens? And what does this mean for the studies of human and past humanoid behavior?
My research strives to answer the presence and degree of interbreeding between Neanderthal and Modern humans. Researchers use different comparisons of the fossil record, phylogenetic, morphological, and genetic methods to explore these questions in more detail. The literature provided many positive correlations to my hypothesis that Neandertals and Modern Humans interbred on a small-scale basis after the dispersal of modern humans from Africa. The literature also predicts a time frame of likely interbreeding. To explore this question it is important to research article’s explaining the statistical, genetic, and physical evidence associated with possible interbreeding.
Ever since the Pleistocene era, human societies have expanded rapidly, developing innovative ways to defend their territories and migrate across the land. Consisting of an aggregate of humans living together, these societies became more powerful as time progressed by consuming more meat (megafauna). Supporting this development, the more mammals that humans would eat, the more protein their bodies would absorb. When humans consume high amounts of protein, they develop stronger muscles, which leads to the stimulation of brain activity. By way of further explanation, amino acids from the proteins are used to make the neurotransmitters that allow your brain cells to network and communicate. Amino acids that come from the protein you eat are the building blocks of your brain’s network. They can excite or calm your brain as well as nourish your brain throughout its lifetime. Also, they allow the body's own proteins to be used to support life, particularly those found in muscle. This led humans to develop intelligence and create a wide variety of tools. These tools are what the early hominids used to develop their culture into that of hunter-gatherer-fishers, making humans a more dominant mammal within that ecosystem.
Mitochondrial DNA has a lot of characteristics and features which makes its use very essential in determining the spread of humans throughout the world. Human mitochondrial DNA is solely inherited from mothers. A human’s mitochondrial DNA is the same as his mother’s mitochondrial DNA, which is the same as her mother’s mitochondrial DNA. Researchers can estimate a probability distribution of ancestors’ genes and migration paths through time if they are given a set of mitochondrial gene sequences. It is assumed that all mitochondrial DNA types in the human gene pool can ultimately be traced back to a common matrilineal ancestor that lived approximately 200,000 years ago in Africa.(Oven et al, 386) All human mitochondrial DNA can be traced back to a single mitochondrial DNA known as “mitochondrial Eve”, who lived in Africa a long time ago. Mutations are m...
In recent years, the Homo Neanderthalensis were viewed as “subhuman brutes”, but are now seen as a different species from our own (Balter 2001). The Neanderthals were a branch of the Homo genus that evolved in Eurasia at least 200,000 years ago (Fagan 2010). The first Neand...
The evolution of the human species has significantly changed during the course of evolution to what is now the modern day Homo sapiens. Some of the changes that have occurred through the evolution are bipedalism, changes in body features such as brow ridges, and an increase in brain capacity.
From the ancient bones of the Neanderthals, scientists have been able to extract small amounts of DNA. The DNA comparisons to modern humans show no relationship, implying evolutionary separation (Kunzig, 159). Some anthropologists say the small sections of DNA found are not conclusive evidence, because modern humans show just as much variation in DNA. These people point out that individuals such as the “Portugal Kid” are hybrids of Neanderthals and modern humans, showing there was gene trading. One argument against this is that there is no skull from the ‘Portugal Kid” so it is hard to compare it to Neanderthals. Also, it is known that closely related species can breed and their offspring can be fertile, but they are still separate species (Kunzig, 161).
Scientists thought that interbreeding would be a logical assumption to the Neanderthal conundrum. Unfortunately, any evidence of DNA from Neanderthals mixed with human DNA is difficult to come by because their fossils are usually tarnished upon finding. That is until Svante Paabo, and his research team from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, came across the remains of twenty-four Neanderthals and forty early humans.* All of these fossils were nearly 40,000 years old and were from Germany, Russia, and Croatia. Nine of these fossils (four Neanderthal and five human)
What did the early American pioneers see when traveling the uninhabited wilderness of the early 1800’s? Could they have be seeing a black bear standing momentarily on its hind legs or was it actually what we now call Bigfoot today (“The Canadian Encyclopedia”). The origin of Bigfoot dates even further back to Native American myths portraying a large aggressive ape like animal walking on its hind legs eating children and animals (“New World Encyclopedia”). Since then there have been thousands of reports of supposed Bigfoot sightings including footprints, photos, videos and the actual carcass of a deceased Bigfoot. For over 80 years scientist have been discrediting the thought of the existence of Bigfoot, but throughout time scientist have begun to adapt to the fact that there might be a possible large unidentified animal walking throughout our wilderness today. The fact that there might be a Bigfoot like animal walking through our forests today sparks imagination but has there been enough information that we can conclude that there is an animal that has not been identified.
Detecting signals of gene flow between Neanderthals and modern human ancestors can be challenging because the two groups share a common ancestor within the last 500,000 years. This is not any more concrete than the nuclear DNA sequence variation of present-day humans. The article goes on to say that Neanderthals share more genetic variants with present-days humans in Eurasia than with present day humans in sub-Saharan Africa (Green 1). This article is very scientific and dense. It becomes extremely hard to understand when it starts talk...
One of the findings that help support the theory of evolution is the Neanderthals. Neanderthals are people who started living around 190,000 years ago and died out only about 28,000 years ago. Neanderthals look very much like y...
The origin of modern humans has been debated for years. On either side of the debate lies the multi-regional theory, and the Out of Africa theory. The multi-regional theory states that Homo erectus left Africa, and after separating into different regions, collectively evolved into the modern humans we see today. The Out of Africa theory states that modern humans evolved in Africa, and then migrated to different regions. In this theory, it is believed that modern humans replaced all other descendants of Homo erectus. The Out of Africa theory is generally more accepted, and the evidence in favor of it is compelling. Much of the evidence for the multi-regional theory has been falsified. However, there are still strong supporters for each theory.