Submitted by nodeciapalabras t3_ylu0ir in askscience
byllz t1_iv2pscv wrote
Reply to comment by reeherj in Why don't we have Neandertal mitochondrial DNA? by nodeciapalabras
Also possible, there is some neandertal mitochondrial DNA in some family that hasn't been tested yet. Some dude in South Carolina about a decade ago got a genetic test and learned that his Y chromosome diverged from everyone else ever tested like 250,000 years ago. Turns out this one patrilineal family survived with few members in Cameroon. It is perfectly possible some ancient undiscovered matrilineal line with Neandertal mitochondria is alive and well in some remote corner of the world.
PracticalWallaby4325 t1_iv3ezj4 wrote
This kind of explains why we don't have any neanderthal mitochondrial DNA though, doesn't it? If we are all descendents of this woman & she did not have neanderthal mitochondrial DNA then we wouldn't either...
byllz t1_iv3h1xm wrote
Humans and Neandertals coexisted and interbred about 50,000 years ago. Mitochondrial Eve is thought to date back about 150,000 years ago. Of course, it is possible that there are as of yet undiscovered branches in the mitochondrial family, and Mitochondrial Eve dates back quite a bit further. Before the dude from South Carolina took his DNA test, Y chromosomal Adam was thought to date back about 150,000 years, but finding him pushes Adam back perhaps 250,000 years. And if some Neandertal mitochondrial lineages are found in humans, that could push Mitochondrial Eve back to more than 500,000 years or so, to before humans and Neandertals split.
Q-uvix t1_iv4r3e3 wrote
There's no explanation there. If we did find Neanderthal mitochondrial dna in some human population, that would just mean mitochondrial eve would have lived longer ago than we thought (before Neanderthal and sapian lineages split.)
vrts t1_iv3d1uo wrote
Doesn't even need to be remote, if your line hasn't been tested it could be you!
mcr1974 t1_iv3h72s wrote
remote with the regard to the current discovered set, not the commenter.
cunninglinguist32557 t1_iv3sb6k wrote
Man, I wish discoveries like this were the only possible consequence of widespread genetic testing.
pursnikitty t1_iv3x2kf wrote
I mean, knowing if you have markers for certain medical conditions so you can make informed decisions for yourself are pretty good. Just as long as we don’t go gattaca with it
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