No Neanderthals in the woodpile?

Early humans and Neanderthals probably did not interbreed, according to evidence collected by Italian scientists. . .

The latest research, from the University of Ferrara in Italy, compared genetic material from Neaderthals, Cro-Magnon humans and modern Europeans. The DNA from the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons was taken from their bones. The DNA came from cell structures called mitochondriae rather than the nucleus.

They found that while, unsurprisingly, modern humans show clear genetic signs of their Cro-Magnon ancestry, no such link between Neanderthal DNA and modern European DNA could be established.

The results, they say, indicate that Neanderthals made little or no contribution to the genes of modern humans.

Posted by David on May 13, 2003 10:53 AM