GENEVA (Reuters) – Scientists have for the first time isolated a protein from the remains of a Neanderthal woman who lived more than 40,000 years ago, providing new insights into the physiology of our extinct relatives.
The protein, collagen, is a structural component of many tissues in the body, including skin, bones, and tendons. By analyzing the amino acid sequence of the Neanderthal collagen, researchers were able to infer some of the woman’s physical characteristics, such as her hair and eye color.
The woman, who died in her early 20s and was buried in a cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia, had dark skin, dark hair and brown eyes.
She belonged to a group of Neanderthals who lived in the region until they were replaced by modern humans about 40,000 years ago.
The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, is the first to provide direct evidence of the physical appearance of a Neanderthal.
“This is the first time we have been able to directly access the proteins of an extinct hominin,” said Svante Paabo, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who led the study.
“It is a major breakthrough that opens up new possibilities for understanding the biology of our extinct relatives.”
The researchers extracted the collagen from a tooth that had been preserved in the woman’s skull. They then used a technique called mass spectrometry to analyze the amino acid sequence of the protein.
By comparing the sequence to the collagen of modern humans and other primates, the researchers were able to infer some of the woman’s physical characteristics.
They found that she had a number of genetic variants that are associated with dark skin, dark hair and brown eyes in modern humans.
The study also provides new insights into the evolution of human skin color.
It has long been thought that modern humans evolved light skin color after they migrated out of Africa into regions with less sunlight.
However, the new study suggests that Neanderthals may also have had light skin color.
“Our findings suggest that light skin color may have evolved independently in both Neanderthals and modern humans,” said Paabo.
“This is a significant finding that challenges the traditional view of human evolution.”
The study also has implications for our understanding of the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans.
It has been known for some time that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans, and that some modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA.
However, the new study suggests that the interbreeding may have been more extensive than previously thought.
“Our findings suggest that Neanderthals and modern humans may have interbred more frequently than we previously thought,” said Paabo.
“This is an important finding that could help us to better understand the evolution of our species.”.
