Complete Neanderthal Genome Published By German Researchers

A group of German researchers announced this week that they have completed sequencing of a Neanderthal genome. The scientists say that the high-quality sequencing will be made available online for other researchers and scientists to study. The researchers were able to produce the genome using a toe bone found in a Siberian cave.

This published genome is said to be far more detailed than a previous "draft" Neanderthal genome was sequenced three years ago by the same team. The group of researchers operate from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. The researchers say that the new genome allows individual inherited traits from the Neanderthal's mother and father to be distinguished.

In the future, the scientists hope to compare their new genome sequence to that of other Neanderthals as well as comparing the genome to another extinct human species with remains that were found in the same Siberian cave. The other remains are of an extinct human species called Denisovan. Certainly some researchers will compare this new genome to that of humans.

The group of researchers intends to publish a scientific paper based on new knowledge gained from studying the detailed genome. Specifically the researchers plan to refine knowledge having to do with genetic changes that occur in the genomes of modern humans after they parted ways with Neanderthals and Denisovians.

[via Fox News]