Found the true origin of humanity?

Genetic similarities between Neanderthals and modern humans are more likely because they shared a common ancestor rather than mating. That is the statement drawn from the recent research by scientists at Cambridge University.

The picture depicts the face of the Neanderthals. (Photo: Mauro Cutrona)

Modern human origins have long been the subject of intense debate and there seems to be no stopping in the scientific world. Previously, many argued that the similarity of DNA of these two separate groups is the result of mating behavior. However, the study just published in PNAS suggests a completely different answer.

Explain why Europeans and Asians share between 1 and 4% of the genome with Neanderthals, experts say: the starting point of Neanderthals and modern people comes from a common ancestor that lived throughout Africa and Europe about half a million years ago. But then, at 300,000 to 350,000 years ago, the European region and Africa became separate. The European group evolved into Neanderthals while the African settlers became modern.

Like Neanderthal, modern people in northern Africa (near Europe) will retain more genetic DNA from ancestors than their brothers in southern Africa. When modern people expanded their lives to Europe and Asia about 60,000 to 70,000 years ago, they brought with them ancestral features that Neanderthals also had, collectively called caveman DNA.

A study conducted last year also shows that even when 'that' happens between Neanderthals and modern people, it is difficult to get pregnant and give birth. Using computer models based on different levels of mating, the authors found that the success rate would be less than 2% in all cases.

Reference: Livescience