12.19.08
Scientists decode half of the Neanderthal genome
Scientists decode half of the Neanderthal genome
Posted by ranjankul in Other News
Scientists have decoded half of the Neanderthal genome and are aiming to sequence the rest by the year’s end.
According to a report in New Scientist, researchers will roll out a rough draft of the Neanderthal nuclear genome after their sequencers have read every letter in the genome on average once.
However, the fragmentary state of the DNA sample, from bones recovered in Czech Republic, means that the first draft will offer only a tantalizing glimpse of the genome to researchers who hope to better understand Neanderthal biology and human evolution.
Some 38,000 years of decay has left the DNA in tatters and strewn with contamination from bacteria and human handlers.