Is there a genetic link between neanderthals and humans?

Question

Is there a genetic link between neanderthals and humans?

Answer 1

One theory that I find unsettling is that autism, ADHD,and Asperger's are all due to Neanderthal genes. Is that a put down of those with the conditions?

Answer 2

I believe the jury is still out on this one. I also understand that they are very close based upon work at the Plank facility in Leipzig and some work in the USA (don't anybody tell Dubya. least he cancell the program).

I don't know how close they are just now but I suspect it won't be long now.

Answer 3

Yes. Ignore the out of Africa crowd, there are several genes one  in particular the MCPH1, that can only be elained by Neanderthal interbeeding. Also the European variants of the MCR1 gene (hair colour) can only be accounted for by about 700,000 years of time. The same goes for eye colours.

http://home.entouch.net/dmd/hegene.htm

http://mathildasanthropologyblog.wordpre...

Some DNA proof of hybridisation.

Answer 4

Yes and no. We are decended from a common ancestor but we are not decended from Neanderthals. We are more like cousins with them.

Answer 5

Some scientists say yes and some say no. so the jury is still out on that one. Some scientists say neanderthals  were a dead end branch and some say neanderthals bred with modern human so we do have some neanderthal genetic diversity in all of us. But no proof only theory. They do not even know for sure why the neanderthals died out. So you cannot say no or yes to your questions no one knows. But I know that is is a question to this day still being worked on.

Answer 6

Studies about this are ongoing, however, at least 5 hybrid skeletal remains have been found, and it is believed that the red-hair gene, the blue-eye gene, the long-nose gene (For warming air before it enters our lungs) and the RH-- blood factor, all came from the Neanderthals!

Additionally, we are genetically 99.9% identical, closer than a horse & a donkey!

Answer 7

We share a common ancestor - we are homo sapians and they are homo sapians neanderthalensis :-)