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carried pathogens from AfricaBut with ancient DNA so difficult to sample and sequence, fragmented by all the thousands of years it has weathered, more direct evidence that Neanderthals were infected by pathogens that cause common illnesses today, but could have killed our kin, has been lacking.
"To support provocative and interesting hypothesis, it would be necessary to prove that at least the genomes of these viruses can be found inBriones, along with evolutionary geneticist Renata Ferreira of the Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil and colleagues, sampled DNA from the skeletons of two male Neanderthals.evades the immune system and lies dormant for years or decades.
The study shows that it's feasible to find and extract remnants of viral DNA in the remains of ancient hominins. The oldest viral DNA found before this was aLet's not forget either that there have been a host of other theories put forward about what wiped out Neanderthals.
"It is likely that a combination of these factors, along with other unknown factors, contributed to the eventual disappearance of Neanderthals," Ferreira and colleagues
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50,000-year-old Neanderthal bones harbor oldest-known human virusesEmily 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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