A new study from Oxford University shows that humans and Neanderthals most likely kissed each other back in the distant past.
ArticleBody:When writer Jean M. Auel first published her now bestselling novel, 'The Clan of the Cave Bear,' back in 1980, she made what seemed a questionable conceit at the center of her story: that our distant ancestors had mated with Neanderthals, our closest relative in the evolutionary tree of humanity, long ago in prehistory.
It was hugely controversial back then, but a 2010 study of the Neanderthal genome later revealed evidence that her assertion had been correct: traces of Neanderthal DNA are sprinkled throughout our genome, hinting at romance — or perhaps conquest and rape. Now a new study, led by Oxford University and published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, sheds even more light onto the mystery with an exciting conclusion: humans and Neanderthals very likely engaged in some makeout sessions. The team collected observational data from modern-day primates in Africa, Europe and Asia that have been seen smooching each other, such as chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos. They then treated the act of kissing as an evolutionary trait, and used Bayesian statistical modeling to model kissing behavior in the family tree of primate ancestors. Their result? That kissing is an ancient practice among large apes, first arising somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million years ago. And among those kissing cousins, they found, were the Neanderthals. That finding is particularly interesting, the researchers point out, because of a previous study that found that humans and Neanderthals share common oral microbes — likely, they say, from swapping spit. 'Probably they were kissing,' the study's lead author and evolutionary biologist at Oxford Matilda Brindle told The Guardian. 'It certainly puts a more romantic spin on human-Neanderthal relations.' 'The fact that humans kiss, the fact that we now have shown that Neanderthals very likely kissed, indicates that the two are also likely to have kissed,' she added. Kissing is a vulnerable act, according to the paper, and may have aided our ancestors to assess the physical health of a potential mate. From there, we can make an imaginative leap that romance was in the air between us and our closest yet extinct cousins — which, in spite of the disastrous 1986 Hollywood adaptation of 'The Clan of the Cave Bear,' makes for an undeniably blockbuster story. More on Neanderthals: Neanderthals May Have Been Killed Off By Magnetic Pole Flip
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
L.A. County sheriff's employee microwaved blood evidence in his own DUI case, D.A. saysA Los Angeles County sheriff’s custodian was charged with tampering with evidence from his DUI arrest, according to officials. He has since left the department.
Read more »
These States Have the Highest Rates of Epilepsy, and Scientists Think They Know WhyRisk factors for epilepsy, like poor sleep, might be more common in certain regions of the U.S., researchers say.
Read more »
Astronomers may have glimpsed evidence of the biggest stars ever seenThe distant universe might be littered with supermassive stars between 1000 and 10,000 times the mass of the sun, which could solve a cosmic mystery about the origins of extremely large black holes
Read more »
At UN climate conference, some activists and scientists want more talk on reforming agricultureAgriculture contributes about a third of Earth-warming emissions worldwide.
Read more »
‘Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story’ shows lifelong Bills fans find love during the holiday seasonThe new movie 'Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story' follows lifelong Bills fans Morgan and Gabe (Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario) as they connect with each other over their shared love of the Bills.
Read more »
Human Evolution Is Still Happening, And Here's The EvidenceThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »