Neanderthal dna in Native Americans

[rokdok]

Yotova et al just published a study in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution which demonstrates that an X-linked haplotype of Neanderthals (B0006) is not only present in ALL non-African populations but also OCCURS AT THE HIGHEST RATE IN NATIVE AMERICANS. Moreover, it is basically ABSENT in East Asia, and occurs in 9% of Western Europeans, the "center" of ancient Neanderthal populations, but is PRESENT IN 25% OF NATIVE AMERICANS, by far the highest prevalence worldwide. If neanderthals never made it to the New World, how is this possible??? Opinions???

[Mojave]

Do you have a link or was this not on-line?

an X-linked haplotype of Neanderthals is not only present in ALL non-African populations…

Does that mean it is in ALL African populations? A bit misleading but I’m curious. Were Africans not tested or if they were was the percentage higher? Than what?

but is PRESENT IN 25% OF NATIVE AMERICANS, by far the highest prevalence worldwide.

Or the corollary, does this suggest that Native Amerinds evolved independently from Neaderthal in the Americas? Or, does this suggest that Native Amerinds evolved independently from Neaderthal elsewhere before coming to the Americas? Or, does it mean that Amerinds were more isolated from other sources of DNA for a looong time? Or does it imply inbreeding? Or does it imply some environmental influence that caused the specific DNA to persist more robustly in Amerinds? On,...

Moreover, it is basically ABSENT in East Asia, and occurs in 9% of Western Europeans, the "center" of ancient Neanderthal populations, but is PRESENT IN 25% OF NATIVE AMERICANS, by far the highest prevalence worldwide

Maybe Asians were more DNA-isolated???
Maybe Europeans were more selective???
Maybe they all had more diversity to choose from???
Maybe Darwin was right about the whole survival-of-the-fittest thing and selective breeding?? Believe me I have had times in my youthful life where my questionable choices were dictated more by what was available rather than what I really wanted. But we’re not going to go into that.

If neanderthals never made it to the New World, how is this possible??? Opinions???

My opinion is you are trying to draw conclusions based on incomplete and/or very misleading data. Going from point A to point B is risky.

God is Love,
Love is Blind,
Ray Charles is Blind,
Ray Charles is God…

[wiseshanks]

However you interpret the information given, it is still very interesting. Definitely requires some more attention and research.

[rokdok]

Mojave,, the haplotype DOES NOT OCCUR IN ANY SUB_SAHARAN AFRICANS TESTED NONE,NADA, ZILCH.

[Mojave]

Mojave,, the haplotype DOES NOT OCCUR IN ANY SUB_SAHARAN AFRICANS TESTED NONE,NADA, ZILCH.

I WASN'T SUGGESTING IT WOULD.
Your statement implied the study simply didn't look at Africa. I was just curious. I don't know beans about DNA. I didn't mean to convey an opinion that I disagreed with anything or that it shouldn't be studied.
I just feel that a preponderance of Neanderthal DNA in the Americas doesn't necessarily mean Neanderthal was in the Americas. there could be other perfectly reasonable explanations (that I do not have) for it.

[comanche]

I am just as interested in the DNA studies done to the Australian Aboriginals.Although nothing in the mitochondrial record shows any Definitive Neanderthal relations.It has always struck my mind that these people could be the closest link//jmo

[George Looney]

There is no telling where all Matt Rowe"s DNA might show up !!

[rokdok]

I WASN'T SUGGESTING IT WOULD.
Your statement implied the study simply didn't look at Africa. I was just curious. I don't know beans about DNA. I didn't mean to convey an opinion that I disagreed with anything or that it shouldn't be studied.
I just feel that a preponderance of Neanderthal DNA in the Americas doesn't necessarily mean Neanderthal was in the Americas. there could be other perfectly reasonable explanations (that I do not have) for it.

I see your point. You can google "Yotova b006" and find some info. The authors suggest that ALL lineages outside Africa were involved in inbreeding with neanderthals very early in the OOA migration, but when you look at the world-wide distribution of B006 if that was the case, i would expect it to be highest in the Levant, and decrease as people radiated outward from that area. That is not the case, and in actuality the opposite is true, B006 occurs in it's highest percentages in the Americas, yet is extremely rare to non-existant in Eastern Siberia, the supposed migration route to the Americas. B006 occurs in it's highest incidence in NORTHWESTERN Europe, and in NORTHEASTERN North America. Occam's razor suggests to me, that neanderthal descendants migrated from Northwestern Europe to Eastern North America. Arguments against a Solutrean settlement of N. America include the fact that there is no evidence of Solutrean settlement in the British Isles, the logical starting point of such a migration, however, recent archeological excavations in The British isles did find that contrary to previous dogma, that Neanderthals were more resourceful , and made more advanced tools than previously thought, and what's more, they were in the right place at the right time to accomplish such a migration. Remember, as the last ice age waxed strong 30-35000 years ago, the British Isles were covered in ice miles thick. The "advanced"Nean derthals had to go elsewhere or perish.Did they go west?These new genetic findings suggest this is a strong possibility to me.JMHO

[uniface]

I googled "Molecular Biology and Evolution." When I didn't find anything about it in the current issue article titles/abstracts, I searched "Neanderthal" and waded through 31 of them -- nada.

I'll look up Yotova b006 as you suggested.

Your link to the article would be greatly appreciated.

UPDATE : found a bunch of stuff the second time. Interesting.

[drdave514]

Influx of data suggests that early Native American's didn't all come Siberia????

How shocking!

I jest, but even without the DNA evidence that will likely dictate future models I can't imagine how the NW Euro-NE American connection can be ignored forever.

In my personal, and only moderate, educated opinion I think they will eventually "prove" connections that are not only through north eastern and western North America but also through southern North America and possibly even Florida.