Do you have Neanderthal Ancestry? What would you think if you found out you did?

I was going to say “that explains the existance of conservatives”, but that would be insulting.
To Neanderthals.

Yeah! 3.1% of my DNA is from Neanderthals and I’m about as open-minded as you get..

No, I wouldn’t be at all surprised. That was relatively recently, however. Long before that I think my ancestors were most likely blue-green algae.

” Would you be surprised to find out you’re part Neanderthal and what you suspect that means? ”

It means we are both of the genus Homo.

I am not sure of what it means as I could have Neanderthal genes that code for a common enzyme that all great apes have, or I could have something unique.

I have that Science article on the neanderthal sequencing. I will refresh my memory and try to get back to this question.

https://23andme.https.internapcdn.net/res/pdf/hXitekfSJe1lcIy7-Q72XA_23-05_Neanderthal_Ancestry.pdf

Last I heard there was some speculation that Neanderthal may have interbred with northern Europeans, and the most likely living descendents of Neanderthal are Scandinavian.

Which would mean that Vikings were part Neanderthal.

And someone seriously needs to make that movie.

Neanderthals were a group of humans who lived in Europe and Western Asia.

Using SNPs, small nucleotide polymorphisms, the gene flow of Neanderthal genes into Eurasian human populations show that Neanderthals share more of their SNPs with Asian and European populations than African populations. Neanderthals are more closely related to non-Africans than Africans on average, so the out-of-Africa theory needs some revision.

( more to follow )

GIven my celtic heritage, and lord knows what from my mom’s side, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Might explain my alcoholism!

I hate these kinds of questions though, because once you find out, there’s not much one can do. Can’t delete 4% of your DNA!

Interestingly enough, and among other genetic differences, there are differences in the genes in Neanderthals and modern humans that are implicated in autism, Down’s syndrome and schizophrenia.

Plenty of hypothesis suggesting Neanderthal and Cro Magnon interbred happily.

@Coloma But that Neanderthal strength though…

I wouldn’t be surprised and it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.

@Seek_Kolinahr & @Coloma I see we’re on the same page with Ayla and the vikings, that WOULD be a bada$$ movie!

I think they were redheads. Most readheads have Neanderthal ancestry.

“Neanderthals are more closely related to non-Africans than Africans on average, so the out-of-Africa theory needs some revision.”

I’m not sure that is the case. It’s more complicated.

They may not have been stupid, their brains were actually larger than ours.

@MadMadMax

” needs some revision.”

I’m not sure that is the case. It’s more complicated. ”

Quite the case. The out of Africa theory states all human ancestry of today is African in origin. Obviously not. I said revision, not refutation.

Most evidence suggests the Neanderthals had bigger brains than Homo Sapiens, tended toward larger social groups, and were much less warlike. There is good reason to think the Neanderthals got wiped out by their less intelligent but meaner and deadlier Homo Sapien neighbors. The winner in the survival of the fittest is the one most willing to kill the competition, not necessarily more fit for anything else.

@dabbler That’s what I’ve read, I’m pretty sure I’m some % Neanderthal. History is usually written by the victors. I’d bet our perception of them is off ~180 degrees.

I think I should get tested. I think I tend more towards 11% or even more!
I wouldn’t be troubled in the least to discover any one thing about my ancestry. I am who I am. What I was born with I can’t change, and whatever I could change I have or am still. I’m happy about myself.
@KNOWITALL, @Coloma, @Seek_Kolinahr, movie maybe, but if I were going to go interspecies myself, I’d be looking for Warf (sp?) from Trek NG. He’s a biter too.

Jonesn4burgers: There is only a maximum of 4% Neanderthal in the human gnome. I’m 3.1 so I’m high. I can buy a t-shirt acclaiming my Neanderthal heritage. I think that’s a hoot!

dabbler: “Most evidence suggests the Neanderthals had bigger brains than Homo Sapiens, tended toward larger social groups, and were much less warlike. There is good reason to think the Neanderthals got wiped out by their less intelligent but meaner and deadlier Homo Sapien neighbors. ’

Sadly thats based on a lot supposition and not fact. Just recently we thought they could not speak and now have discovered they not only had language but very likely music.

There is a great deal to learn about them and a more passive people would logically have less chance of surviving in comparison with a more agressive human line.

Was just joking about the 11%, still though it would neither suprise nor bother me to have it be true. Neanderthals rock. @MadMadMax, how did you come to be tested?

@Jonesn4burgers asked ” how did you come to be tested?”

23andme.com

Received much more info than lineage -

Health Overview
Health Risks
Drug Responses
Inherited Conditions
Traits
Health Tools

Anchestry Overview
Ancestry Composition with links explaining where people came from
Maternal Line
Paternal Line
Connections to family members to find out where you inherited your ancestry – split
Neanderthal Ancestry
Ancestry Tools
Gene Comparison

Key Health Recommendations

Constantly updated reports as they discover more. You may carry a gene for a problem but it’s not active – then again it may be active.

Apparently at some point in history Jessie James and I had the same ancestor – probably on my mother’s side.

Tons of stuff you can bring to doctor – warnings regarding high probability of health issues.

I didn’t pay for it. It was a gift to my husband and I from our son who had done it for his wife, brother and himself.

3.2%