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, the closest cousins of modern humans, lived in parts of Europe and Asia until their extinction some 30,000 years ago.
Like us, they had two copies of 22 of those chromosomes , and also a pair of sex chromosomes. Females had two X chromosomes, while males had one X and one Y.. However, the large chunk that has been sequenced contains versions of several of the same genes that are in the modern human Y chromosome. Most of this Neanderthal DNA arrived in a 7,000-year period about 47,000 years ago, after modern humans came out of Africa into Europe, and before Neanderthals became extinct about 30,000 years ago.
In mammals and other animals where females have XX chromosomes and males have XY, it is disproportionately male hybrids that are unfit or infertile. In birds, butterflies and other animals where males have ZZ chromosomes and females have ZW, it is the females.
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10 unexpected ways Neanderthal DNA affects our healthEmily is a health news writer based in London, United Kingdom. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Durham University and a master's degree in clinical and therapeutic neuroscience from Oxford University. She has worked in science communication, medical writing and as a local news reporter while undertaking journalism training.
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