[Taxacom] lateral gene transfer - was Homo sapiens neanderthalensis

[joel sachs]

On Mon, 5 Jul 2010, Stephen Thorpe wrote:

> Ken,
> What do you think about the theory that neanderthals became "extinct" by
> being absorbed through interbreeding with modern humans? This possiblity 
> raises a general issue whereby two branches of a phylogenetic tree could 
> perhaps join up to form one.

Doesn't this happen every day with lateral gene transfer amongst 
single-celled species? Why would it cause a "complication" to 
phylogenetics?

Thanks -
Joel.

> I don't know how much of a "complication" this would be to 
phylogenetics?
> Stephen
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kenneth Kinman <kennethkinman at webtv.net>
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Sent: Tue, 6 July, 2010 2:19:13 PM
> Subject: [Taxacom] Homo sapiens neanderthalensis & did early H. sapiens arise in Eurasia?
>
> Dear All,
> ? ? ? When I posted about Neanderthals last week, I failed to include
> weblinks to any literature, so before discussing my classification of
> Homo sapiens, I wanted to rectify that omission.? The most recent and
> important paper discusses the surprising find that 1-4% of the genes in
> present-day Eurasian human populations came from Neanderthals.? Since
> gene flow from the Neanderthals ended with their extinction
> 25,000-30,000 years ago, this percentage was no doubt even higher in the
> past.? This suggests to me that very significant interbreeding AND gene
> flow occurred between Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens
> sapiens while they lived together in Eurasia.? ? ? ? ?
> ? ? ? Anyway, here is a weblink to the abstract of that recent article
> in the 07 May 2010 issue of the journal Science entitled "A Draft
> Sequence of the Neandertal Genome" :
> http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/328/5979/710? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
> ????????There were a number of news stories based on
> these findings and interviews with various anthropologists, including
> the following on the BBC:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8660940.stm
>
> ? ? ? ? Below is the subspecies classification which I am still using
> for Homo sapiens.? Note that I am still coding H. sapiens
> neanderthalensis as evolving from a paraphyletic H. sapiens
> heidelbergensis.? If true, the new evidence would also indicate that H.
> s. heidelbergensis could have easily interbred with (or even given rise
> to) H. s. rhodesiensis.? A slightly different topology might be that H.
> s. neanderthalensis split off between H. s. heidelbergensis and H. s.
> rhodesiensis, which might further increase the possibility that the
> early (archaic) forms of Homo sapiens might have arisen in Eurasia and
> then reinvaded Africa before modern humans evolved.? Its paraphyletic
> mother species (Homo erectus) could have also originated in Eurasia.
> Perhaps Homo erectus floresiensis ("hobbits'") are not so far
> geographically from their origins after all.? Anyway, the popular view
> of wave after wave of early forms of Homo in just one direction (out of
> Africa) might be overly simplistic.? It could be a more complicated
> back and forth.
>
> ????? Homo sapiens
> ?????????????1? H. sapiens antecessor
> ?????????????B? H. sapiens cepranensis
> ?????????????2? H. sapiens heidelbergensis%
> ???????????_a_? H. sapiens neanderthalensis
> ?????????????3? H. sapiens rhodesiensis
> ?????????????4? H. sapiens idaltu
> ?????????????5? H. sapiens sapiens
>
> ? ? ? ---------Cheers,
> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Ken Kinman
>
>
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