Did Neandertal contribute to our gene pool?

Question

MCPH1 is not evenly distributed across the globe. It occurs most often in European, East Asian, and certain South American Indian populations, and is least common in sub-Saharan Africans.

Nontonal language:

The presence of MCPH1 in a population correlate to that population using a nontonal language.[4] For example, tonal languages are common in sub-Saharan Africa, where MCPH1 is scarce. The presence of a recent ASPM allele also correlates to nontonal language.

Hypothetical origin

MCPH1 "regulates brain size during development and has experienced positive selection in the lineage leading to Homo sapiens." "Within modern humans, a group of closely related haplotypes at this locus, known as haplogroup D, rose from a single copy approx 37,000 years ago and swept to exceptionally high frequency (approx 70% worldwide today) because of positive selection. [...] Haplogroup D likely originated from a lineage separated from modern humans approx 1.1 million years ago.

Answer 1

No Neanderthal DNA has been found in any modern human.  At least not yet.  

Ever consider that MCPH1 is a mutation that became useful, thus flourished?

Answer 2

NO, Neanderthal and homespun lived right along side one other ,and it is thought that homespun may have used Neanderthal for pleasure bot the species was too fare apart to produce off springs. At least we have not found any Faisal's to assume otherwise.

Answer 3

According to the most recent data, Neanderthal were not human as they do not share a common gene pool. They were more related to the apes than to humans.

Answer 4

You forgot to follow another lead to your hypothesis...

The theory I am gonna write about is at the extreme spectrum of evolution studies, and most studies in this field are less than 10 years old!

The fact is that after the conclusion of the Genome project, it has been found that 41% of our DNA has a viral origin... Which mean that some of our genetic heritage has been contributed by virus contamination and integration into our genes. This theory is called Symbiogenesis.

What you have found there, is the gene of a tubular virus, that if research elude its mystery could explain the higher intelligence plateau seen in our specie today... It did not only affect how we were talking, but also how our brain was networked together... Thus how humans were thinking... Just because of a virus... This is far from being confirm yet, but time will tell...

Answer 5

Based on DNA studies, Neanderthal didn't likely contribute to our gene pool.  The are roughly equally distantly related to our ape ancestors obviously since they were on our lineage after the split.  I think what you are looking at is simply an example of evolution favoring a particular haplogroup and not any indication of relationship to Neanderthal in those groups.

Answer 6

The last theory I read on this subject there was very little interaction, if any, between neanderthal man and homo sapien.

Answer 7

why do u think we have the huge turkey drumsticks for sale in disneyland

X-)

Answer 8

well, for arguments supporting that, read Wolpoff, the apostle of neanderthals as ancestors.

Answer 9

I'm not an expert in the area in any way but I believe that Neanderthal was too different then Homo Sapien to produce offspring, they probably fought each other, hunted/worked together, and possibly had sexual intercourse but it couldn't result in offspring.

Answer 10

According to my Anthropology class last semester the debate is valid, but still lacks physical evidence.

Basically, despite the thousands of fossils of both Cro-magnon man and Neandertal that are found throughout Europe and the Levant, no true "mixed" fossils have been found.  In the strongest case for interbreeding, what was originally thought to be a crossover fossil turned out to be a Neandertal with a bone dissorder.

Long story short, although each side of the argument is currently unproveable, most Anthropologists are leaning toward extinction/annihilation.  Now that most of the Neanertal DNA has been sequenced it is shown that they are more closely related to us than chimps, but still far enough away to make interbreeding unlikely.

Another factor against interbreeding is human nature.  Cro-magnon peoples  were basically prehistoric modern humans.  Just looking at how much difficulty we have with the small differences in our own species (race, language, etc...) it is hard to imagine the two groups (especially Cro-Magnon) looking past the vast differences that would have been grossly apparent.  Cro-magnon man made complex tools, had a full language, was self aware and made art and music.  Neandertal made simple tools, had VERY limited speech capabilities (based on the position of the Larynx in their throat) and was not known to make art.

   The differences between the physical and behavioral traits of the two groups would have been vast and far larger than exists in any two different ethnic groups today.  Because of this it is hard to imagine that they would embrace each other so openly as to actually interbreed to the point of becoming one group (aka modern Europeans).

Hope my answer helps.  Great question.