why are neanderthals thought to be a different species to humans?

An excellent point. If they found pygmies 100,000 years in the future, they'd be calling them another species without hesitating. Neanderthals were probably a different race, not a different species

All the DNA studies have done so far is prove that we share the FOX2P speech gene (which seems to be Neanderthal in origin) and several DNA studies, not well publicised ones, have shown DNA in Europeans and Asians rthat haven't had a common ancestor in two million years.

http://mathildasanthropologyblog.wordpress.com/200...

Two European genes for red hair have estimated dates of 30,000 years, and one of 80,000 years, and in fact there's quite a list.

There's actually quite a lot of genetic evidence to support some limited interbreeding, but it's not publicised well.

There's another hatchet job on the out of Africa theory at this site.

http://home.entouch.net/dmd/hegene.htm

This is a good question, and right now there is no definite answer. Some think Neanderthals were a separate species, Homo neanderthalensis, while other say a separate sub-species Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. I have no idea, but I tend to think they did not interbreed - human societies have all sorts of taboos about mating that usually include not mating with people who look radically different. Plus, Paul Mellars from the Department of Archaeology at Cambridge says there is no evidence for interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals, and he specializes in the Palaeolithic. So chances are that modern humans and Neanderthals did not interbreed. And that would make them a separate species. But I could be wrong.

Channel 5 (last night) advanced the idea that Humans and

Neatherthals inter-bred and some if the people are descended

from them.

Certainly, you could make a case for that happening because

it is odd that the Neatherthals died out the way they did. They

preferred a colder climate, we preferred a warmer climate.

The most recent DNA studies show little, if any overlap - which surprized a lot of people.

Mostly, there are significant anatomical differences, Homo sapiens sapiens appears quickly, with their own technology, in previously Neanderthal areas. There is some cultural change in Neanderthal culture, probably in response, but you can always tell them apart, and you don't find both in the same place on the same level.

Note that the difference, homo sapiens neanderthalensis and homo sapiens sapiens, are on a sub-species level. They could presumably interbreed, probably with some fertile offspring. It just doesn't look like it happened.

The chances of finding ancient skeletons and they only be of humans with peculiar traits, is beyond minuscule.

you make a good question with your anology of the black race, there is enough physical differences between the black groups and any other group such as asian or native american that somebody looking with racial blinders on could point to a "missing link" but the DNA would show otherwise.

If I remember correctly, DNA tests has been on Homo Erectus, and ends the debate on whether they are sapien or not.

Consider them to be a long lost cousin rather than a long lost brother.

Definition of Species:

"A fundamental category of taxonomic classification, ranking below a genus or subgenus and consisting of related organisms capable of interbreeding.

An organism belonging to such a category, represented in binomial nomenclature by an uncapitalized Latin adjective or noun following a capitalized genus name, as in Ananas comosus, the pineapple, and Equus caballus, the horse."

Using the first definition, it could be argued that Neanderthals should be in our species since there is no evidence that they couldn't interbreed. There is circumstantial evidence that they were clearly separate populations that had distinct genes. I think you might say if they could interbreed, they would. Since they apparently didn't based on DNA study, they are not in the same species. I think it is why separating them into two species is controversial. I lean toward two separate species.

Species are not only classified on looks. Scientists know that the neanderthals and humans could not produce fertile offspring. This is the same principle that makes horses and donkeys different species. Just because they look the same, doesn't mean they are.

If 2 subspecies (human and neanderthals) are isolated for a long period of time (which happened) then eventually they will become different offspring. That's why apes developed alongside humans, because somewhere along the line, 2 subspecies of apes were isolated, and became different species.

Hope that makes sense.

I think you mean Cro Magnon - a term no one has used for decades. The Cro Magnon were Homo Sapiens, the same as modern humans. Nobody knows why the Neanderthalers went extinct. The notion that they were less intelligent than modern Man never had much evidence to support it, and now seems unlikely. Neanderthalers had religion. Perhaps that is why they failed to survive. .... (The link goes to an article on Neanderthaler genome sequencing).

It could just be another step in the process of evolution. The differences may have been categorized immensely that they weren't very similar to humans now-a-days. We don't really know for sure. But whatever was going on, they were either different species or just another step in the evolution of mankind.

"The Neanderthals are included by some within the species Homo sapiens, recognizing their close affinities to modern humans; others place them in their own species, Homo neanderthalensis, emphasizing the differences between them and modern humans."

BTW! Black people are not of another species!