Do you think Europeans could very well be a Sapiens/Neanderthal Hybrid?

Question

Europeans lead the world in differences in appearance, all kinds of hair color and textures, different color complexions etc., wheras Asians, Africans Native Americans across the board, on the other hand do seem to more or less share the same course black hair, same sort of complexion, dark eye color... etc.

Why is this? I'm not sure, but one theory I believe in is that Europeans are definitely a Sapiens/Neanderthal hybrid while the rest of the world races are mostly just Sapiens.

Answer 1

Actual evidence of modern humans and Neanderthals breeding is quite slim. I'm not convinced that it happened. There are other explanations for observing increased variability in a particular population.

Answer 2

Had that thought myself when I was doing my degree. Problem is I couldn't find any research to support this.

There is some evidence of cross-breeding betwen the two species. Just how often how successful they were is not yeat known.

Doesn't meant it's not a valid comment. Guess it's just hard trying to support/reserach it in a way that does offend the ellitist.

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Answer 3

eWhy not? I've known a lot of Europeans who were fat heads not only in appearance but in personality but certainly not the majority. I don't mind having a Neanderthal, Cromagnen or even a chimpanzee as a distant relative.

Answer 4

The jury is out on that.

Evidence is still inconclusive.

http://www.jqjacobs.net/anthro/paleo/nea...

http://www.livescience.com/health/061115...

jan.ucc.nau.edu/evc/Bahn_Lapedo Child.pdf

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/0...

Answer 5

My comments are not meant to be an answer,  as I believe it has been covered quite nicely by the other folks above!  

Thanks SkyDog 70 for the question and the rest of you for your very interesting answers! Great read! ********

Answer 6

I don't see why not!

Answer 7

Many folks have addressed the Neandertal connection part of your question - and as is clear - there is no clear answer yet, some studies suggest there is a direct connection, some say there is not - the definitive answer will probably not be know for some time yet - if ever.

I do want to address your underlying assumption though as it is mistaken.  While you may see more differences between European folks than other groups, that is probably more part of the "they all look the same to me  syndrome than reality.  Studies have actually shown that modern Africans have the most diverse DNA and greatest number of differences within a general population of any area on earth.  This is most likely because they have been around the longest, having the greatest opportunity to have change since the population was established.  This is acutally one of the methods used to identify where humanity started and spread from. (those with the least amount of variation had less time to diverge, more variation, more time).

Answer 8

Scientists have discovered that about 5% of the DNA of the average modern

european is of neanderthal origin, as was published in PLoS genetics.

The phenotypic traits of neanderthals are: wide round face, face that is vertically

convex, minimal nosebridge, browridges, minimal chin, thick barrel-like torso,

neck that situates the head low and forward. There are some modern europeans

that have such a trait combination, albeit diminished as compared to neanderthals.

Amazing coincidence? I think not.

The famous anthropologist Carleton Coon even classified some european races

(particularly 'brunn') as having some neanderthal ancestry.

Apparently some people desire to suppress this knowledge, apparently due

to some leftist belief in equality, so be sure to tell it to others. I for one, do

not particularly care that some people have more neanderthal ancestry than

others; I do not regard such people as 'inferior'. I only care about the truth,

because I am motivated by curiosity, which is the opposite emotion of the

crude blind mindset that underlies blind false beliefs.

Answer 9

Neanderthal DNA has been mapped, and scientists believe that  they do not contribute to the modern gene pool. They became extinct, without integrating into the H sapiens sapiens civilisations. I would suspect that, although they were very similar in outward appearance, they may have drifted genetically from H sapiens in the time they were separated, between the first and second great migrations out of Africa. This would have been a period of between 500,000 and 1 million years.

Either they did not interbreed, or, more likely, their offspring were not viable, or were sterile, like mules.