Man’s Genome From 45,000 Years Ago Is Reconstructed

Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/science/research-humans-interbred-with-neanderthals.html?src=mv

Source: The New York Times

Date Published: Oct, 22 2014

        Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany have discovered the oldest known human genome on Earth. The genome was from a man who lived 45,000 years ago and was taken from a fossilized thighbone found in Siberia. Scientists at the Institute have found signs that show early humans bred with neanderthals, leading to the discovery of one more step on our (Homo sapiens sapiens) evolutionary path. The man's genetic information contained pieces of DNA which, by examining how fragmented they were, showed when humans bred with neanderthals. The answer? Around 50-60,000 years ago. The reason for this sudden breakthrough is that the team in Germany was perfecting their technique for stitching DNA together for examination and further analysis of timeframes and such. The fossil itself was found in 2008 by a fossil collector looking for mammoth tusks in Siberia. Upon discovering the thighbone, he sent it to Russian authorities, who identified it as human. It was then carbon dated at Oxford, and sent to the team in Germany. There are two main discoveries to take away from this article. 1. Early humans bred with neanderthals.

2. We now have the capacity to piece together ancient DNA from small viable samples, such as well-preserved fossils.

        This article relates to our studies in biology in multiple ways. It is extremely related to organic chemistry, which goes into the nitty-gritty of how the DNA extraction, restitching, and analysis might take place. We also learned about nucleic acids/nucleotides, the key component in DNA that makes up its coded genetic information. This also applies to our studies of ecology, in part because we can analyze his DNA to figure out biotic/abiotic factors that modified it. Studies have shown that environment can impact genetic information. Knowing what conditions may have been like for early humans/neanderthals may give us more insight into our evolution and biological history as a species.