Present the most complete genome of Neanderthal

2013/03/21 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Paleontologia
• Genetika
• Eboluzioa
• Arkeologia

In 2010 the journal Science published the Neanderthal genome draft. Its authors, researchers at the Max Planck Institute, have presented the most complete genome to date. The presentation has generated controversy in some areas, since all data have been made available to everyone before publication in a scientific journal. However, those of Max Planck have advanced that they intend to publish the research.

Meanwhile, the results have been made public. It is noted that the current genome is of “high quality”. In fact, for the drafting of the 2010 draft, they left the three bones found in a cave in Croatia and, on average, only once they sequenced each position of the genome. They have now departed from the foot bone of an individual found in Denisova (Siberia) and determined that each position has been sequenced “on 50 occasions”. Contemporary DNA pollution is estimated at around 1%.

In addition, they have compared the genome of this Neanderthal to that of other sequenced Neanderthals and the man of denisova, and have seen that it is related to other Neanderthals, although the man of Denisova and both had the same place of residence (possibly lived in that cave in different times).