Our Neanderthal Cousins

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Our Neanderthal Cousins RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS E VOLUTIONARY GENOMICS Our Neanderthal cousins The complete mitochondrial genome was genome assembly, for which the phylogenetic techniques, the authors sequence of a 38,000 year-old authors designed a specific procedure also showed that the divergence time Neanderthal confirms that our closest for ancient DNA that allows gaps to between Neanderthals and modern hominid relatives did not contribute be ‘filled in’ where coverage is low. humans is 520,000–800,000 years. significantly to the mitochondrial This involved aligning sequences The ratio of non-synonymous to DNA (mtDNA) lineage of extant with the extant human mitochon- synonymous substitutions in the humans, and that the two groups drial genome, which established an Neanderthal lineage was unusually diverged about 660,000 years ago. overall picture of how stretches of high for primates, implying limited Pääbo and colleagues extracted Neanderthal mtDNA fit together. purifying selection and low effective mtDNA from a Neanderthal bone This information was then used to population size in Neanderthals. that was discovered in Croatia in design primers for PCR and Sanger The technical advances in this 1980. One of the technical challenges sequencing to fill in the missing study will be crucial for sequencing they needed to meet was ensuring pieces. the Neanderthal nuclear genome. sufficient sequence coverage so that The authors found 206 single It will be interesting to see if that bases were not miscalled because of nucleotide differences between genome gives similar results for contamination with modern the Neanderthal sequence and a divergence times, and whether more human DNA or degradation of the reference human sequence, only definite signs of lineage-specific ancient DNA (a process that can lead a few of which were located in the selection can be observed. to C to T transitions) — a feat that 13 coding mitochondrial genes. This Patrick Goymer was achieved using high-throughput level of difference is substantially 454 sequencing technology. The greater than that within modern ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER Green, R. E. et al. A complete Neandertal mitochondrial genome authors also kept contamination human sequences, strongly indicat- sequence determined by high-throughput levels very low using specialized ing that the two lineages have not sequencing. Cell 8 Aug 2008 (doi:10.1016/ clean-room facilities. The next hurdle mixed. Using standard molecular j.cell.2008.06.021) NATURE REVIEWS | GENETICS VOLUME 9 | SEPTEMBER 2008.
Recommended publications
  • Krapina and Other Neanderthal Clavicles: a Peculiar Morphology?
    Krapina and Other Neanderthal Clavicles : A Peculiar Morphology? Jean-Luc Voisin To cite this version: Jean-Luc Voisin. Krapina and Other Neanderthal Clavicles : A Peculiar Morphology?. Periodicum Biologorum, 2006, 108 (3), pp.331-339. halshs-00352689 HAL Id: halshs-00352689 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00352689 Submitted on 13 Jan 2009 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. PERIODICUM BIOLOGORUM UDC 57:61 VOL. 108, No 3, 331–339, 2006 CODEN PDBIAD ISSN 0031-5362 Original scientific paper Krapina and Other Neanderthal Clavicles: A Peculiar Morphology? Abstract JEAN-LUC VOISIN The clavicle is the less studied element of the shoulder girdle, even if it is USM 103 a very important bone for human evolution because it permits all move- Institut de Paléontologie Humaine ments outside the parasagittal plan. In this work, clavicle curvatures are 1 rue René Panhard 75013 Paris studied by projecting them on a cranial and a dorsal plan, which are perpen- E-mail: [email protected] dicular. In cranial view, there is no difference within the genus Homo, and [email protected] Neanderthal clavicles are not more S-shaped than modern human ones.
    [Show full text]
  • K = Kenyanthropus Platyops “Kenya Man” Discovered by Meave Leaky
    K = Kenyanthropus platyops “Kenya Man” Discovered by Meave Leaky and her team in 1998 west of Lake Turkana, Kenya, and described as a new genus dating back to the middle Pliocene, 3.5 MYA. A = Australopithecus africanus STS-5 “Mrs. Ples” The discovery of this skull in 1947 in South Africa of this virtually complete skull gave additional credence to the establishment of early Hominids. Dated at 2.5 MYA. H = Homo habilis KNM-ER 1813 Discovered in 1973 by Kamoya Kimeu in Koobi Fora, Kenya. Even though it is very small, it is considered to be an adult and is dated at 1.9 MYA. E = Homo erectus “Peking Man” Discovered in China in the 1920’s, this is based on the reconstruction by Sawyer and Tattersall of the American Museum of Natural History. Dated at 400-500,000 YA. (2 parts) L = Australopithecus afarensis “Lucy” Discovered by Donald Johanson in 1974 in Ethiopia. Lucy, at 3.2 million years old has been considered the first human. This is now being challenged by the discovery of Kenyanthropus described by Leaky. (2 parts) TC = Australopithecus africanus “Taung child” Discovered in 1924 in Taung, South Africa by M. de Bruyn. Raymond Dart established it as a new genus and species. Dated at 2.3 MYA. (3 parts) G = Homo ergaster “Nariokotome or Turkana boy” KNM-WT 15000 Discovered in 1984 in Nariokotome, Kenya by Richard Leaky this is the first skull dated before 100,000 years that is complete enough to get accurate measurements to determine brain size. Dated at 1.6 MYA.
    [Show full text]
  • Periodontal Disease and Dental Caries from Krapina Neanderthal to Contemporary Man – Skeletal Studies
    Clinical science Acta Medica Academica 2012;41(2):119-130 DOI: 10.5644/ama2006-124.45 Periodontal disease and dental caries from Krapina Neanderthal to contemporary man – skeletal studies Berislav Topić1, Hajrija Raščić-Konjhodžić2, Mojca Čižek Sajko3 1 Academy of Sciences and Arts Objective. The aim of this study was the quantification of alveolar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo bone resorption as well as the number and percentage of teeth with Bosnia and Herzegovina dental caries. Materials and Methods. Four samples of jaws and sin- 2 Faculty of Stomatology, University gle teeth were studied from four time periods, i.e. from the Krapina of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Neanderthals (KN) who reportedly lived over 130,000 years ago, and Herzegovina groups of humans from the 1st, 10th and 20th centuries. Resorption of 3 Institute for Biostatistics and Medical the alveolar bone of the jaws was quantified by the tooth-cervical- Informatics, Faculty of Medicine height (TCH) index. Diagnosis of dental caries was made by inspec- Ljubljana, Slovenia tion and with a dental probe. TCH-index was calculated for a total of 1097 teeth from 135 jaws. Decay was calculated for a total of 3579 Corresponding author: teeth. Results. Resorptive changes of the alveolar bone in KN and 1st Berislav Topić century man were more pronounced on the vestibular surface than Academy of Sciences and Arts interdentally (p<0.05), while no significant difference could be con- of Bosnia and Herzegovina firmed for 10th and 20th century man (p=0.1). The number (percent- 71000 Sarajevo age) of decayed teeth was 0 (0%, n=281 teeth) in KN, 15 (1.7%; n=860 Bosnia and Herzegovina teeth) in 1st century, 24 (3.4%; n=697 teeth) in 10th century, and 207 [email protected] (11.9%, n=1741 teeth) in 20th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Bataille on Lascaux and the Origins of Art
    Bataille on Lascaux and the Origins of Art Richard White Creighton University Bataille’s book Lacaux has not received much scholarly attention. This essay attempts to fill in a gap in the literature by explicating Bataille’s scholarship on Lascaux to his body of writing as a whole—an exercise that, arguably, demonstrates the significance of the book and, consequently, the shortsightedness of its neglect by critics who have not traditionally grasped the relevance of the text for illuminating Bataille’s theory of art and transgression. Bataille’s major work on the Lascaux cave paintings, Prehistoric Paint- ing: Lascaux or the Birth of Art, was originally published as the first volume in a series called “The Great Centuries of Painting.”1 It is an impressive book with color photographs and supporting documents, and in his text, Bataille deals conscientiously with the existing state of prehistoric studies and scholarly accounts of Lascaux. But in spite of this—or rather because of it—Lascaux the book has received very little attention from prehistoric scholars, art historians or even Bataille enthusiasts.2 For one thing, the format of this work seems to undermine the power of transgression which is the subject as well as the driving force behind most of Bataille’s writings. The very context of a multi-volume series on great art and artists suggests an uncritical perception of art as a universal which remains the same from Lascaux to Manet.3 In Lascaux, as opposed to most of his other writings, Bataille offers his own contribution to an existing historical controversy, and he is constrained in advance by the terms of this debate.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biting Performance of Homo Sapiens and Homo Heidelbergensis
    Journal of Human Evolution 118 (2018) 56e71 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Human Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jhevol The biting performance of Homo sapiens and Homo heidelbergensis * Ricardo Miguel Godinho a, b, c, , Laura C. Fitton a, b, Viviana Toro-Ibacache b, d, e, Chris B. Stringer f, Rodrigo S. Lacruz g, Timothy G. Bromage g, h, Paul O'Higgins a, b a Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO1 7EP, UK b Hull York Medical School (HYMS), University of York, Heslington, York, North Yorkshire YO10 5DD, UK c Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArHEB), University of Algarve, Faculdade das Ci^encias Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal d Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile e Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany f Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK g Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA h Departments of Biomaterials & Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA article info abstract Article history: Modern humans have smaller faces relative to Middle and Late Pleistocene members of the genus Homo. Received 15 March 2017 While facial reduction and differences in shape have been shown to increase biting efficiency in Homo Accepted 19 February 2018 sapiens relative to these hominins, facial size reduction has also been said to decrease our ability to resist masticatory loads. This study compares crania of Homo heidelbergensis and H.
    [Show full text]
  • There Is Very Little Evidence of Either Artwork Or Ritual Behavior in Lower Paleolithic Contexts with Two Exceptions
    There is very little evidence of either artwork or ritual behavior in Lower Paleolithic contexts with two exceptions: – A small pebble of volcanic rock with evidence of human work on it found at Berekhat Ram, Golan Heights – It appears to be a representation of a human female – At over 230,000 years old, perhaps the earliest representation of a human female – Evidence for special treatment of the dead found in a cave at Atapuerca – The complete remains of 27 individuals recovered from this inaccessible cave – The excavators argue that the individuals were placed in the cave as part of a funerary ritual 300,000 years ago • Found on Golan Heights, near Syrian border • Acheulean, either H. erectus or archaic H. sapiens? • Dated to ca. 250,000 years b.p.! • neanderthal adj 1: ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance; "was boorish and insensitive"; "the loutish manners of a bully"; "her stupid oafish husband"; "aristocratic contempt for the swinish multitude" [syn: boorish, loutish, oafish, swinish] Dictionary.com 130,000 – 35/30,000 years ago Large cranial capacity Large browridge Receding chin Short, robust stature Cold adaptations Diorama of Neanderthals, American Museum (1930s) Cro-Magnon (1) La Chappelle (1) braincase in modern humans is supraorbital torus present relatively shorter, occipital bun present forehead rounder and higher prognathism 1. Neanderthals and modern humans evolved separately from populations of Homo erectus, possibly through local intermediate species 2. The common ancestor of modern humans and Neanderthals was a distinct species that itself evolved from Homo erectus and lived 700,000-300,000 years ago 3.
    [Show full text]
  • What's in a Neanderthal
    WHAT’S IN A NEANDERTHAL: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Taylorlyn Stephan Oberlin College Dept. of Anthropology Advised by Prof. Amy Margaris TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Abstract – pg. 3 II. Introduction – pg. 3-4 III. Historical Background – pg. 4-5 a. Fig. 1 – pg. 5 IV. Methods – pg. 5-8 a. Figs. 2 and 3 – pg. 6 V. Genomic Definitions – pg. 8-9 VI. Site Introduction – pg. 9-10 a. Fig 4 – pg. 10 VII. El Sidron – pg. 10-14 a. Table – pg. 10-12 b. Figs. 5-7 – pg. 12 c. Figs. 8 and 9 – pg. 13 VIII. Mezmaiskaya – pg. 14-18 a. Table – pg. 14-16 b. Figs. 10 and 11 – pg. 16 IX. Shanidar – pg. 18-22 a. Table – pg. 19-20 b. Figs. 12 and 13 – pg.21 X. Vindija – pg. 22-28 a. Table – pg. 23-25 b. Fig. 14 – pg. 25 c. Figs. 15-18 – pg. 26 XI. The Neanderthal Genome Project – pg. 28-32 a. Table – pg. 29 b. Fig. 19 – pg. 29 c. Figs. 20 and 21 – pg. 30 XII. Discussion – pg. 32- 36 XIII. Conclusion – pg. 36-38 XIV. Bibliography – pg. 38-42 2 ABSTRACT In this analysis, I seek to understand how three separate lines of evidence – skeletal morphology, archaeology, and genomics – are used separately and in tandem to produce taxonomic classifications in Neanderthal and paleoanthropological research more generally. To do so, I have selected four sites as case studies: El Sidrón Cave, Mezmaiskaya Cave, Shanidar Cave, and Vindija Cave. El Sidrón, Mezmaiskaya, and Vindija all have detailed archaeological records and have yielded Neanderthal DNA.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Eurasia
    World Heritage papers41 HEADWORLD HERITAGES 4 Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Eurasia VOLUME I In support of UNESCO’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations United Nations [ Cultural Organization Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Eurasia Nuria Sanz, Editor General Coordinator of HEADS Programme on Human Evolution HEADS 4 VOLUME I Published in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France and the UNESCO Office in Mexico, Presidente Masaryk 526, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico. © UNESCO 2015 ISBN 978-92-3-100107-9 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbysa-en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Cover Photos: Top: Hohle Fels excavation. © Harry Vetter bottom (from left to right): Petroglyphs from Sikachi-Alyan rock art site.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 a Valley and Its Secrets Did Joachim Neander Discover the Neanderthals?
    1 A Valley and Its Secrets Did Joachim Neander discover the Neanderthals? Has the valley always looked as it does today? Can one tour the cave? Is the Neanderthal the first fossil human? Are there new discoveries about the Neanderthals? 1.1 Refuge and Quarry The Neander Valley was once an idyllic, narrow gorge. The small stream Düssel created a 50 metres deep and 800 metres long channel running through the valley’s limestone bed. Only midway through the 19th century was it named after Joachim Neander. The works of art of the painters who frequented the forest valley remain as the only testimony of the rushing waters of the Düssel, the lush vegetation and the craggy rock walls. The valley attracted nature lovers, painters and eventually quarrymen. Limestone mining destroyed the unique landscape within a few decades. In 1921, parts of the valley were for the first time placed under nature conservation. Today the valley is a refuge for numerous rare animal and plant species. 1.2 The Discovery A mere 16 bones made up the mysterious finding discovered by workmen clearing Feldhof Cave in August 1856. They were immediately identified as human remains by Johann Carl Fuhlrott, the first person to examine them. Little is known about the circumstances surrounding the finding. The skeleton is said to have been lying on its back and buried 60 cm deep in the cave’s clay with the head pointing towards its entrance. We know today that bones of the species found in the Neander Valley had already been discovered before 1856 – in Belgium and Gibraltar.
    [Show full text]
  • Student Worksheet: Hall of Human Origins Virtual Tour
    Hall of Human Origins GRADES 9–12 Student Worksheet: Hall of Human Origins Virtual Tour 1. Locate the three skeletons at the entrance to the hall (Page 5). On the far left is a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), in the center is a modern human (Homo sapiens), and on the far right is an extinct species called Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). The human and the Neanderthal share many features related to bipedalism (walking on two legs). a. Compare the human and the chimpanzee. What similarities do you see? What differences do you see? Similarities: Differences: b. Compare the human and the Neanderthal. What similarities do you see? What differences do you see? Similarities: Differences: 1 Hall of Human Origins GRADES 9–12 Student Worksheet: Hall of Human Origins Virtual Tour 2. Based on your observations, which species do you think is more closely related to modern humans (Homo sapiens)? Explain your answer. 3. Observe the Family Tree (Page 6) . You should see several skulls organized from oldest (bottom) to most recent (top). This type of tree allows scientists to demonstrate evolutionary relationships among species. Displayed here are several species of early humans (also called hominins). On the top right is the skull of a modern human (Homo sapiens). As you look from the oldest species (bottom) to the most recent species (top) what changes do you notice in the shape of the skull? 4. Observe the diorama of Australopithecus afarensis. (Page 7) You should see a male and a female walking arm in arm. This is a hominin species that existed between 4 million and 3 million years ago.
    [Show full text]
  • One Godz How to Read Neanderthal
    One Godz Toward a Phylogeny of Art, Language, and Religion COMMENTARY: La Pasiega How to Read Neanderthal for Sapiens Glen M. Golub Archeo Art History December 7th 2019 Lesson One Solstice and Equinox Panels of La Pasiega Gallery C A Rosetta Pebble of​ Cognition​ ~ ​ Neanderthal ​ ~ Table of Contents Glossary​ & ​Conventions​..…………………………..………...3 Abstract​ ………………………………………………………………..3 Summary​……………………………………………………………….4 If Past is Prologue​…………………….……………..4 Age Means Nothing ​- Until It Means Something​……………………….5 Methodology​ ………………………………………………………...6 Device Identification​ …………………………………………….7 Sapien Panel Discussion​ ……………………………………….8 Panel DVP​……………………………………………….8 Rites of Spring​ ……………………………………….9 Neanderthal Panel Discussion​…….………………………..9 Additional Notations on Time and Orion​…………...10 On Cognition​ …………..…………………………………………..12 Unresolved Questions​…...……………………………………...13 Table 1 - Comparative Zodiacs​….…….………14 Table 2 - Differential Symbol Sets​…………..14 Bibliography ​………………………………………………………...15 Page 2 of 15 GLOSSARY Anima​ta​- Artistic device which has no independent meaning but adds emphasis or clarity, eg. hash marks indicating movement. ​pl.​ - ​Animata ​has no independent meaning so no singular or plural form. Lemma​ - An artistic device containing the smallest quanta of information. Lemmata​ - pl. ​A collection of ​Lemma ​forming a complete thought Terrama​ - A naturally occurring landscape feature incorporated as an artistic device. Terramata ​- ​pl. ​A collection of landscape features which form a complete artistic device or context for an artistic device. (Not to be confused with ​geota​ or ​geomata​ an arrangement of lithic material.) Chronology​ - The order in which devices and lemmata are understood. Shared Construct​ - A social fiction common to both cultures Shared Device​ - Lemmata common to both cultures in meaning and use CONVENTIONS & ARTISTIC LICENSES (L⟹ R) or (L⟸ R) - Convention to express reading right to left or left to right.
    [Show full text]
  • Q&A: Where Did the Neanderthals
    Harris and Nielsen BMC Biology (2017) 15:73 DOI 10.1186/s12915-017-0414-2 QUESTION AND ANSWER Open Access Q&A: Where did the Neanderthals go? Kelley Harris1* and Rasmus Nielsen2,3* flow from humans into Neanderthals occurred much Abstract earlier, closer to 100,000 years ago [4]. Genomic evidence has demonstrated that humans and Neanderthals interbred. Today, the genomes of But the Neanderthals are not here today. What do – most individuals outside Africa contain 2 3% we know about when and how they went extinct? Neanderthal DNA. However, it is still hotly debated From the fossil record, we know that the Neanderthal why the Neanderthals went extinct and if humans population started to decline around 40,000 years ago. contributed to the Neanderthal extinction. In this There is some disagreement about how long they coex- Q&A we explore what genomic data might have to isted with humans—the species might have completely say about this issue. disappeared as long ago as 39,000 years ago, but some radiocarbon dating studies have suggested that Neander- In 2010 Svante Pääbo and colleagues published a thals might have survived in Asia as recently as 24,000 paper showing that humans and Neanderthals years ago. Many different factors probably contributed to interbred. Does that conclusion still hold true their extinction, but their decline conspicuously coincides today? with the movement of anatomically modern humans into Yes, more evidence of human/Neanderthal interbreeding Europe and Asia [5]. has been building up every year. The initial 2010 finding by Pääbo and colleagues [1] was remarkable in that it What theories have anthropologists then was based on only a single ‘draft’ Neanderthal genome proposed that could explain the extinction? that was highly degraded but still contained useful genetic Many different hypotheses have been proposed to ex- information.
    [Show full text]