by a Newsnet reporter
Gliog an seo gus an aiste seo leughadh sa Ghàidhlig
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Yae o the gryte forders in modrin genetics wis the discovery at aa modrin fowk is descendit fae a wee population o African fowk at migratit oot o East Africa aroon 80,000 year syne an gaed on tae colonise the hail warld. A new study bi geneticists reportit in the scientific journal Science Express haes funn evidences at the furst modrin humans tae enter Europe interbred wi the Neanderthals at thae funn bydin here aareddies.
On leein Africa airly modrin humans discovert groups o fowk descendit fae pre-modrin human species at haed left Africa hunners o thoosans o years afore. In Europe an Waster Asia, thir pre-modrin fowk evolved inti the Neanderthals, a different species o humanity. In Easter Asia thae evolved inti a mirk fowk kent as the Denisovans, efter a cave in Siberia whaur their auncient remains wis funn.
The differences atween the modrin humans fae Africa an the Neanderthals an Denisovans wis a hail muckle mair nor the differences atween modrin human races, at on a genetic level is treivial an little-boukit. Wi the discovery at Neanderthals wis a sinder species, monie scientists doutit at it wis pheisically possible fur modrin humans tae interbreed wi Neanderthals or Denisovans an tae hae live growthie affspring. In the animal kinrik whan twa close relatit species interbreeds the ootcam is aft infertile affspring lik the mule, the produc o interbreedin atween the horse an the cuddy.
Modrin humans an Neanderthals bydit aside yae anither fur a gey lang time. Altho oor auncestors left Africa aroon 80,000 year syne, it wis anither 30,000 year or mair afore they began to colonise Europe, until then the homeland of the Neanderthals. Neanderthals at lang an last deed oot aroon 25,000 year syne. The maist raicent Neanderthal remains dates ti 28,000 year syne an wis funn in the sooth o Spain.
Gied the sexual proclivities o the human race an the thoosans o years oor auldfaithers and auldmithers haed tae interack wi Neanderthals, it wis aamaist siccar at modrin humans haed their enns awa wi the aulder species, the quaistion wis whither the results o thir contacks haed left onie effeck in the gene puil o modrin fowk. This new study confirms at a wee bit signeificant percentage o modrin human genes in populations furth o Africa comes fae thir pre-modrin species. Humans didnae juist interbreed wi Neanderthals and Denisovans, bit the bairns produced bi sic houchmagandie wis growthie an gaed on tae hae bairns o thair ain.
Previous research haed aareddie estaiblisht at aroon 4% o modrin human DNA comes fae thir pre-modrin non-African species o humanity. The latest research peens thir genes doun an identifies thaim. Pairts o the human immune seistem common furth o Africa appears tae cam fae Neanderthals an Denisovan fowk. The study says at thir pairts o the seistem, variants o a gene cryed HLA, helps protec humans fae some bacterial infectons an viruses, an fae the rejection o tissue transplants.
The scientists estimates at Europeans an Asians awes mair nor hauf their variants o yae class o HLA gene ti interbreedin wi Neanderthals an Denisovans.
Accordin ti Peter Parham o the Stanford University School of Medicine, at wis the heid researcher in the study, “The HLA genes at the Neanderthals an Denisovans haed, haed been adaptit ti life in Europe an Asia fur a guid wheen hunner thoosan year, bit the raicent migrants fae Africa widnae hae haed thir genes. Sae gettin thir genes bi mixin the moggins wid hiv gied a kinch ti the populations at acquired thaim.”