The entire genome of a 38,000-year-old Neanderthal has been sequenced by a team of scientists in Germany. The group is already extracting DNA from other ancient Neanderthal bones and hopes that the genomes will allow an unprecedented comparison between modern humans and their closest evolutionary relative.
The three-year project, which cost about €5 million (US$6.4 million), was carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Project leader Svante Pääbo will announce the results of the preliminary genomic analysis at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, which starts on 12 February.
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3 comments:
Can cloning be far behind? Or at least various Hollywood movies of same.
Fascinating! I did not expect results before a couple of years in the future. Now we will finally be able to see if there is any real Neanderthal introgression or not in modern humans.
Well, rhw Pääbo people seem to have done a lot of work in this area. I also find it quite significant as to where they're announing it, and when(apparently on Darwin's birthday)
Anne G
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