Neanderthals Had Genomes Too

By Sarah Miner

It's almost official. The full Neanderthal genome sequence has recently been mapped in full, for the first time ever, although the general public has yet to see a copy. German scientists belonging to Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology used only .0038 grams of a neanderthal toe found in 

 Siberia in 2010 to sequence every single genome position. According to the lead researcher 
Svante Paabo, "The genome of a Neanderthal is now there in a form as accurate as that of any person walking the streets today." 

But before they jump to conclusions, they're comparing their research to some incomplete genome sequences, like the Denisovian genome project, which was published last year. This sequencing has the potential to alter how we approach genetic changes throughout history. The research hasn't been made public yet, but the institution is planning to make it's formal presentation later this year.  



Themes of Nature of Science

-- Importance of Repeatability: The scientists sequenced every position in the genome 50
times over to make sure they hadn't made any mistakes. Also, this is nowhere near the first
time a project like this has been attempted. Before the data is accepted, it will have to be 
somewhat consistent with the
 studies that have come before it.

-- Science is Collaborative: There were definitely a lot of people working on this project,
considering it's importance. It helps lend credence to the results if the amount of people can
help reduce the chance of biased opinions interfering with the data.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/20/4126696/neanderthal-genome-sequence-dna-download
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