Neanderthals 'not close family'
By Paul Rincon

The Neanderthals were not close relatives of modern humans and represent
a single species quite distinct from our own, scientists say.
3D comparisons of Neanderthal, modern human and other primate skulls
confirm theories that the ancient people were a breed apart, the
researchers report.

Others claim Neanderthals contributed significantly to the modern gene
pool.

Details of the research are published in the US journal Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences.

"If we accept that Neanderthals were not the same species, what we're
really saying is they did not contribute at all to modern human
populations and in particular modern Europeans," co-author Dr Katerina
Harvati of New York University, US, told BBC News Online

Ancestral contribution

Researchers collected data on 15 standard "landmarks", or features, on
over 1,000 primate skulls. Computer software transformed this data into
3D coordinates for each skull and superimposed them on each other.

Using statistical analysis, they compared differences between modern
human and Neanderthal skulls with those found between and within 12
primate species.

The results support the view that Neanderthals were indeed a distinct
species.

However, other researchers view Neanderthals as a sub-species or
population of Homo sapiens that passed on genes to modern humans either
by evolving into them or by interbreeding with them.

Read the rest at BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3431609.stm

Comment:
Interbreeding with Neanderthals?  This may be evidence of dimly lit
stone age pubs (it would take a strong brew to make a hairy chested
Neanderthal chick look attractive - and when they get that inebriated,
even chimp and gorilla would be getting Cromagnon guys horny).

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