Newfound Ancient Skull Furthere Human-Neanderthal Interbreeding Theory

A strange ancient skull recently uncovered adds to mounting evidence
that humans and Neanderthals interbred and suggests that humans evolved considerably after settling the European continent some
40,000 years ago.

The skull is unlike anything previously dug up.

Researchers led by Joao Zilhao of the University of Bristol and Erik
Trinkaus of Washington University compared the features of the cra-
nium, found in a cave in southwestern Romania, with other human
samples from the time.

The reconstructed cranium is called Oase 2. Radiocarbon dating re-
vealed only that it is at least 35,000 years old.
But its mandible is similar to Oase 1, found previously at the surface
of the cave and dated more firmly to about 40,500 years ago.
The team has concluded that both fossils are the same age.

Oase 2 has the same proportions as modern human craniums and
has other features that are non-Neanderthal.
But other features are unusual for a modern human, the scientists
say.
These include a retreating forehead and exceptionally large upper
molars found principally among the Neanderthals.


SOURCE:
LiveScience.com

This is a very interesting discovery.
It has immense capability to change not only what we know about
the past, but potentially who we are as a species.

If the theory this supports ends up being true, it will mean that
Neanderthals did'nt die out, at least that was'nt there fate as a
species, it would mean that they interbred with humans, so in fact
we are the descendants of both early humans and Neanderthals.


Comments, Opinions?

[edit on 1/16/2007 by iori_komei]

Very interesting!! I believe, too, that humans will be, possibly in the next few thousand years or so, border on all looking alike with “cross breeding” between races etc. i.e. whites marrying blacks, their off-spring marrying Chinese etc etc etc and it goes on and on. Before long we will all look the same and then who the hell knows what that will be LOL!!

Probably the reason why “greys” all look the same! (supposedly)

[edit on 16/1/2007 by shearder]

That actually won't take very long actually, in fact it's thought that it
will only take about two to three centuries before there is'nt race at
all naturally, but rather one colour of people, more or less a lightish
brown, that will resemble a 'white' person with a semi-deep tan.

I read about this a few days ago and the results of their findings are inconclusive as to whether or not they interbred with modern humans. While the shape of the skull is that of a modern human it has some inconsistencies that seem like a skull of a Neanderthal Man.

A project launched by the Max-Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology is sequencing the genome of Neanderthal man and thus far, from the different samples they have been using, there is no genetic evidence of interbreeding.

Certainly it is an interesting concept, that humans could have interbred with another species, but it is still just an idea that most scientists consider unlikely. There is room for debate however and as more genetic research is done, we will soon have a better understanding of where we may come from.

Originally posted by iori_komei
That actually won't take very long actually, in fact it's thought that it
will only take about two to three centuries before there is'nt race at
all naturally, but rather one colour of people, more or less a lightish
brown, that will resemble a 'white' person with a semi-deep tan.

I don't think that will happen because too many people stick with their own race, therefore I believe there will not be just one race.

Originally posted by PHARAOH1133
I don't think that will happen because too many people stick with their own race, therefore I believe there will not be just one race.

There will inevitabley be some groups like that, but over time people
will become interconnected enough, that more people will realize the
truth, that ethnicality/race don't matter.

The question of whether or not modern humans and Neanderthals interbred seems to be the hot topic in paleoanthropology at the moment -- at least if we go by what appears in the mainstream media, where articles related to the subject now appear every couple of weeks.

I sometimes wonder whether modern humans interbred with Homo erectus populations in Asia. A number of South and Southeast Asian myths can be read in this way. Anyone have any information about this?

Genetic evidence seems to be the way to go, and it, at best, doesn't support interbreeding between humans and neanderthals.

As far as 'race', there are no races in the first place. THere is only one human skin pigment, melanin, everyone ALREADY is the same color, we're all different shdaes or tints of melanin. Humans feel the need to make up divisions within ourselves, so we have this social idea of 'races', which has no biological reality. Humanity has been exchanging genes and 'interbreeding' with each other since the begining, we are already 'mixed'.