Neanderthal genome unlocks secrets of human evolution

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Neanderthals are the closest hominid relatives of modern humans. The two species co-existed in Europe and western Asia as late as 30000 years ago. (American Museum of Natural History)
Neanderthals are the closest hominid relatives of modern humans. The two species co-existed in Europe and western Asia as late as 30,000 years ago. (American Museum of Natural History)

The veil of mystery surrounding our extinct hominid cousins, the Neanderthals, has been at least partially lifted to reveal surprising results. Scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) have sequenced genomic DNA from fossilized Neanderthal bones.


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