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Neanderthal vs. Modern Human Genome: How Different?
Recently, scientists have claimed a 99.5% homology between the genes of Neanderthal and those of modern humans. However, how close is the homology between different groups of modern humans, for example, comparing me to my brother, or to someone of the same general background (northern European), or to someone of a different background (e.g., Korean or Zulu)?
Recently, scientists have claimed a 99.5% homology between the genes of Neanderthal and those of modern humans. However, how close is the homology between different groups of modern humans, for example, comparing me to my brother, or to someone of the same general background (northern European), or to someone of a different background (e.g., Korean or Zulu)?
I have since found scientific findings (Cavalli-Sforza) that place the genetic distance between modern humans from 0.006% to 0.030%, with greatest differences behtween sub-Saharan populations and the rest of the world.
Is there any living species with genetic distance across the species of 0.5%. (No guesses or hypotheses, please...only answers from the literature with citations or authors. Thanks!)
4 Answers
- OwlwingsLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
I think this is a bit of a hype by the media. There is no way that we have a sample of complete Neanderthal DNA and it takes years to do a complete analysis of human DNA.
I think that all they are saying is that, of the DNA they have (which is a minute and incomplete fraction), they have detected a very near perfect match.
There is also the issue of contamination of the samples by modern DNA from the people who have handled it.
I believe that forensic DNA comparisons are done on only about 12 sites of the chromosome. That is enough, apparently, to identify a criminal with about a million to one chance of failure. However, comparison of one animal with another involves quite different techniques.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I am not sure that that is such a earth shattering number considering the genetic similarity between an oak tree and a human is close to 85% and a spider monkey and a human close to 98%. (I apologize for the lack of precision as these figures are based on memory)
Like I've said before, you can't use a cake recipe to build a combustion engine. If you have something that is similar in appearance and function, then the instructions also have to be similar in appearance and function.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Assuming your premise, the genetic distance would not vary, on average, between you and a Zulu. Assuming no interbreeding; Neanderthals are a different species, you know.
- 1 decade ago
the similarity of the human and the chimp genome is 99,9% and the difference between you and someone the othe side of the globe is 99,99%, so i would say that the difference between us and the neandertals is around 99,96%
