Neanderthals were just a specialization of old Homo erectus, and there may well have been major shifts in chromosomal number and structure (such as big inversions), that might have had a bigger impact on speciation than simple cumulation of base-pair differences- many of which are rather neutral in their effects. And then there are the regulatory sequences, commonly referred to as junk DNA, which we know nearly nothing about for ourselves, let alone for our ancestors and sister groups.<br><br>One interesting hypothesis has the origins of one of the human lice species (forget which one) coming from erectus to us- there is now a cottage industry developing around genetic studies of human parasites that allows population differentiations to be approximately dated. If we ended up with one of the erectus bugs, it could be because their preferred hosts were dying out, and we became the only game in town.<br><br>The other part of this hypothesis is that the erectus (erecti?) retained ape-like body hair patterns, which is interesting for speculations about Neanderthal- often depicted as making and wearing clothing when there is little or no evidence for this. If they had a lot of hair covering, they might have been able to get through the winter like a Yeti.<br><br>Jess Tauber

Fool! I'm 50 plus a few months. A little math will prove therefore that the Universe can be no older than this figure plus nine months more. Anything older is mere speculation (and I'm still a bit fuzzy on my early universe years, before enlightenment). Why I chose to populate my universe with all you cretins I still have no answer for. Why I chose to let myself age after 18 or so is totally beyond me. Why I created Bush and company marks me as absolutely insane for a deity.<br><br>Jess Tauber (and that's HERR Gott to the rest of you)

Paleolithic matchmaking via Photoshop - The picture looks like a female Neanderthal skeleton next to a modern male human skeleton to me. Is the scale even correct? Can anyone in the know comment on the picture?<br>-Guy

The evidence cited in the story seems to support no significant interbreeding. It is mindblowing to me to think of two or more distinct species of homo coexisting!<br><br>Another thought, turning the interbreeding thing around just a bit - if we can get enough DNA from various samples - perhaps we could bring Neandrathal back to life using the closely related homo sapien female's womb. Jurassic Park was quite a stretch - but I would bet $1 this will be doable someday.<br><br>Considering we probably snuffed them out 28,000 years ago - seems like the fair thing to do <img class='' src='http://new.astromart.com/astromart/javascripts/sceditor/emoticons/smile.png' alt='smile' title='smile'/>

<blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="italic"><br>Not all modern Humans evolved from Neanderthals. Just the current white house and republican congress.<br></div></blockquote><br>You know, not *everything* has to become an occasion to demonstrate that you don't agree with the current administration. You miss the fact that it's just barely possible that opinions that differ from your own might just have some validity, and you demean your own position by resorting to name-calling and denigration rather than rational discussion.<br><br>I could counter your statement by saying that Democrats bear more resemblance to a group of chimpanzees than actual sentient beings, but it wouldn't be any more meaningful or logical than your statement, nor would it advance the discussion any further.<br>