A discovery and study of prehistoric teeth found in 1910 and 1911 suggest that neanderthals and modern humans interbred. The teeth were discovered over 100 years ago at the La Cotte de St. Brelade cave in Jersey, an island on the English channel, a report from Gizmodo states. The teeth, along with fossils and modern genomes, provide sufficient evidence of interbreeding.
Neanderthal research makes plausible consideration
The neanderthals were a a prehistoric human species or subspecies that are widely considered to have been extinct due to changes in weather conditions or disease. However, the recent evidence suggests that neanderthals were not wiped out, but rather absorbed by the growing population of early modern humans, homo sapiens.
In a report from Gizmodo, Chris Stringer, a co-author in the new study, wrote in an email that 2% of neanderthal DNA can be found in the genomes of most people with ancestry outside of Africa. He added that archaeologists "still don't know the exact circumstances, nor how much this was a blending absorption of the Neanderthals into expanding modern human populations."
In-depth teeth analysis
Originally 13 teeth were discovered. One of the teeth were determined to belong to an animal and another was lost. The remaining 11 teeth were later confirmed to not belong to two individuals, not one. CT scan examinations allowed the researchers to analyze the teeth in greater detail then previous studies.While the teeth exhibit qualities of neanderthals, they also have characteristics of modern teeth especially the neck and crown of the teeth.
Neanderthals are believed to have disappeared about 40,000 years ago. The teeth are dated to be about 48,000 years old. Therefore, researchers believe that neanderthal and homo sapiens might have overlapped and co-existed for at least 5,000 years.
DNA testing
Dr. Matt Pope, a co-author in the research, stated that archaeologists must reconsider whether to view the disappearance of neanderthals as extinction.
"But certainly, that word 'extinct' now starts to lose its meaning where you can see multiple episodes of admixture and the retention of a significant proportion of Neanderthal DNA in humans beyond sub-Saharan Africa," Dr. Pope said to BBC News.
Stinger added that the next step in a more solid conclusion would be to test the DNA of the prehistoric teeth. The team is planning DNA testing in the future.
