Q&A: Where did the Neanderthals go?

Kelley Harris; Rasmus Nielsen

doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0414-2

Q&A: Where did the Neanderthals go?

BMC Biol. 2017 Sep 1;15(1):73. doi: 10.1186/s12915-017-0414-2.

Authors

Kelley Harris¹, Rasmus Nielsen^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. harris.kelley@gmail.com.
² Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA. rasmus_nielsen@berkeley.edu.
³ Museum of Natural History, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. rasmus_nielsen@berkeley.edu.

Abstract

Genomic evidence has demonstrated that humans and Neanderthals interbred. Today, the genomes of most individuals outside Africa contain 2-3% Neanderthal DNA. However, it is still hotly debated why the Neanderthals went extinct and if humans contributed to the Neanderthal extinction. In this Q&A we explore what genomic data might have to say about this issue.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
Evolution, Molecular*
Fossils
Genome, Human*
Genomics
Humans
Hybridization, Genetic*
Neanderthals / genetics*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding