I am by the sea and I have a picture

[sovay]

The news which made my day when I woke up and saw it in the paper: some of us have Neanderthal DNA. The original published papers are here, currently free to all visitors.

My mother is delighted. "Of course," she said when I showed her the article. "And they were gentle and ate wonderful grubs and were telepathic." The first book she ever read about the Neanderthals was William Golding's The Inheritors (1955).

I think it's pretty awesome, too.

Comments

[selfavowedgeek.livejournal.com]

Of all the news I've read this week, that article's the one I've returned to the most and just pored over. Fascinating stuff.

Also might explain a few things about some of my wife's folk. ;)

*zing*

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Saw that! But not the wonderful double portrait.

Nine

[zdenka]

That is indeed awesome. And I love how the scientist is grinning happily at the skull and the skull is grinning back.

[ron-drummond.livejournal.com]

I was knocked out by the news too, stumbled upon like a dream in the wee hours of this morning. Great pic -- the happiest of Hamlets and Yoricks, each with his strand of Caliban.

[ron-drummond.livejournal.com]

And I love what your mom said! A thousand blessings upon her.

[timesygn.livejournal.com]

... some of us have Neanderthal DNA

This should come as no surprise. For I can assure you, as a security officer, that Neanderthals still walk among us.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the links! I'm glad they've left the papers unlocked.

I think this is brilliant, although I'm not entirely surprised. A few years back a lot of people were saying there probably wasn't any interbreeding, that the DNA didn't seem to indicate it; I kept thinking that there seemed to be some evidence from the physical anthropology side of things, and that there was a good chance that further and deeper DNA work would end up showing the physical anthropologists had a point.

I like your mother's comment. I've never read that book--I expect I should remedy this.

Science!

[whiskeychick.livejournal.com]

What a great pic and article. I want to run around the neighborhood screaming "Science!" ala Thomas Dolby. Stuff like this just kicks ass so hard.

[lesser-celery.livejournal.com]

The news which made my day when I woke up and saw it in the paper: some of us have Neanderthal DNA.

Anke's first reaction upon reading the news was, "That's us!" And maybe that explains why I'm a hockey fan. Oops, wrong stereotype.