Evaluating Neanderthal genetics and phylogeny.

Martin B Hebsgaard; Carsten Wiuf; M Thomas P Gilbert; Henrik Glenner; Eske Willerslev

doi:10.1007/s00239-006-0017-y

Evaluating Neanderthal genetics and phylogeny.

Martin B Hebsgaard, Carsten Wiuf, M Thomas P Gilbert, Henrik Glenner, Eske Willerslev

Microbiology

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The retrieval of Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalsensis) mitochondrial DNA is thought to be among the most significant ancient DNA contributions to date, allowing conflicting hypotheses on modern human (Homo sapiens) evolution to be tested directly. Recently, however, both the authenticity of the Neanderthal sequences and their phylogenetic position outside contemporary human diversity have been questioned. Using Bayesian inference and the largest dataset to date, we find strong support for a monophyletic Neanderthal clade outside the diversity of contemporary humans, in agreement with the expectations of the Out-of-Africa replacement model of modern human origin. From average pairwise sequence differences, we obtain support for claims that the first published Neanderthal sequence may include errors due to postmortem damage in the template molecules for PCR. In contrast, we find that recent results implying that the Neanderthal sequences are products of PCR artifacts are not well supported, suffering from inadequate experimental design and a presumably high percentage (>68%) of chimeric sequences due to "jumping PCR" events.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Molecular Evolution
Volume	64
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	50-60
Number of pages	10
ISSN	0022-2844
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-006-0017-y
Publication status	Published - 2007

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title = "Evaluating Neanderthal genetics and phylogeny.",

abstract = "The retrieval of Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalsensis) mitochondrial DNA is thought to be among the most significant ancient DNA contributions to date, allowing conflicting hypotheses on modern human (Homo sapiens) evolution to be tested directly. Recently, however, both the authenticity of the Neanderthal sequences and their phylogenetic position outside contemporary human diversity have been questioned. Using Bayesian inference and the largest dataset to date, we find strong support for a monophyletic Neanderthal clade outside the diversity of contemporary humans, in agreement with the expectations of the Out-of-Africa replacement model of modern human origin. From average pairwise sequence differences, we obtain support for claims that the first published Neanderthal sequence may include errors due to postmortem damage in the template molecules for PCR. In contrast, we find that recent results implying that the Neanderthal sequences are products of PCR artifacts are not well supported, suffering from inadequate experimental design and a presumably high percentage (>68%) of chimeric sequences due to {"}jumping PCR{"} events.",

author = "Hebsgaard, {Martin B} and Carsten Wiuf and Gilbert, {M Thomas P} and Henrik Glenner and Eske Willerslev",

note = "Keywords: Animals; Artifacts; Bayes Theorem; DNA, Mitochondrial; Hominidae; Humans; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction",

year = "2007",

doi = "10.1007/s00239-006-0017-y",

language = "English",

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T1 - Evaluating Neanderthal genetics and phylogeny.

AU - Hebsgaard, Martin B

AU - Wiuf, Carsten

AU - Gilbert, M Thomas P

AU - Glenner, Henrik

AU - Willerslev, Eske

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Artifacts; Bayes Theorem; DNA, Mitochondrial; Hominidae; Humans; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - The retrieval of Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalsensis) mitochondrial DNA is thought to be among the most significant ancient DNA contributions to date, allowing conflicting hypotheses on modern human (Homo sapiens) evolution to be tested directly. Recently, however, both the authenticity of the Neanderthal sequences and their phylogenetic position outside contemporary human diversity have been questioned. Using Bayesian inference and the largest dataset to date, we find strong support for a monophyletic Neanderthal clade outside the diversity of contemporary humans, in agreement with the expectations of the Out-of-Africa replacement model of modern human origin. From average pairwise sequence differences, we obtain support for claims that the first published Neanderthal sequence may include errors due to postmortem damage in the template molecules for PCR. In contrast, we find that recent results implying that the Neanderthal sequences are products of PCR artifacts are not well supported, suffering from inadequate experimental design and a presumably high percentage (>68%) of chimeric sequences due to "jumping PCR" events.

AB - The retrieval of Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalsensis) mitochondrial DNA is thought to be among the most significant ancient DNA contributions to date, allowing conflicting hypotheses on modern human (Homo sapiens) evolution to be tested directly. Recently, however, both the authenticity of the Neanderthal sequences and their phylogenetic position outside contemporary human diversity have been questioned. Using Bayesian inference and the largest dataset to date, we find strong support for a monophyletic Neanderthal clade outside the diversity of contemporary humans, in agreement with the expectations of the Out-of-Africa replacement model of modern human origin. From average pairwise sequence differences, we obtain support for claims that the first published Neanderthal sequence may include errors due to postmortem damage in the template molecules for PCR. In contrast, we find that recent results implying that the Neanderthal sequences are products of PCR artifacts are not well supported, suffering from inadequate experimental design and a presumably high percentage (>68%) of chimeric sequences due to "jumping PCR" events.

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DO - 10.1007/s00239-006-0017-y

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SP - 50

EP - 60

JO - Journal of Molecular Evolution

JF - Journal of Molecular Evolution

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ER -

Evaluating Neanderthal genetics and phylogeny.

Abstract

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