[Taxacom] Homo sapiens neanderthalensis

[Curtis Clark]

On 2013-05-17 4:15 PM, Ken Kinman wrote:
>      Well, "hybridized out of existence" could be one of the factors 
> involved (many of the molecularists involved use phrases like "genetic 
> swamping").  Of course, another major factor was probably warfare 
> (competition for shelter and food, fear, or males angry when their 
> females got kidnapped).  Climate change has also been suggested for 
> certain regions.  In any case, interbreeding can no longer be ignored 
> as a major factor, and thus the subspecies vs. species debate needs to 
> be reexamined.

Well, there's always evidence. I've not researched this in detail in the 
primary literature, but the population levels of modern humans and 
neanderthals over time, the paucity of clear hybrids, and the relatively 
minor contribution of neanderthal genes in modern humans together argue 
against "hybridized out of existence" or genetic swamping. Ecological 
competition seems to be the null hypothesis to be falsified here.

-- 
Curtis Clark        http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark
Biological Sciences                   +1 909 869 4140
Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona CA 91768