The new analysis done on humans and Neanderthals has found out that there was no hybridization between the two. The inherited characteristic traits shared between the two are most likely due to a common ancestral pool rather than inter-species mating.
The Cambridge University Study
Researchers from the Cambridge University have put their stamp on “no human-Neanderthal sex”.They state that the DNA similarities between the two are not due to inter-species breeding when they lived together 15,000 years ago in Europe.
They pointed out that 4% people residing outside Africa also have a similar DNA to the Neanderthals. The demographic patterns keenly studied showed 40,000 years ago humans had not been “sexually close“ to the Neanderthals who they put out of place in Europe almost 40,000 years ago.
The study details
The genomic study of the humans and Neanderthals has pointed out that 500,000 years earlier they shared a mutual antecedent that could be a reason for the common ancestral genes.
Dr Andrea Manica, leader of the study, claimed: "To me the interbreeding question is not whether there was hybridization but whether there was any hybridization that affected the subsequent evolution of humans. I think this is very, very unlikely."
"Our work shows clearly the patterns currently seen in the Neanderthal genome are not exceptional, and are in line with our expectations of what we would see without hybridization."
"So, if any hybridization happened then it would have been minimal and much less than what people are claiming now."
Evidence substantiates that this cave dwelling species with short arms and legs had been coerced into extermination by human beings.The human beings has mastered the task of hunting for food and reproduced at a rapid rate leaving the Neanderthals behind.
Africans today show very little likeness with Neanderthals and the non-Africans show a strong similarity. This adds weightage to the claim that the inter mixing took place when the initial early humans went missing from Africa to move towards Europe and Asia to reside there.
Northern Africans show a stronger genetic similarity to their European equivalent than southern Africans.This maybe due to the geographic proximity.
Dr Manica said."The idea is that our African ancestors would not have been a homogeneous, well-mixed population but made of several populations in Africa with some level of differentiation, in the way right now you can tell a northern and southern European from their looks," she said.
The last statement was rendered by Dr Manica again who claimed that hybridization between humans and Neanderthals can by no means be challenged wholly.