Neanderthals mated with some modern humans after all and left their imprint in the human genome, a team of biologists has reported in the first detailed analysis of the Neanderthal genetic sequence.
A degree of interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals in Europe would not be greatly surprising given that the species overlapped there from 44,000 years ago when modern humans first entered Europe to 30,000 years ago when the last Neanderthals fell extinct.
The Neanderthal man was affectionately named 'Jusmeet Singh'.
This is a fabulous achievement," said Ian Tattersall, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, referring to the draft Neanderthal remains that Dr. Paabo's team describes in Thursday's issue of Science.
