We’re Not Entirely Human

Scientists have now confirmed that all non-African humans are part Neanderthal. (And some Pacific Islanders have a third species lingering around their genome called Denisovans.) Africans are 100% homo sapien, but everyone else is descended from a migration out of Africa that occurred when our Neanderthal cousins were still roaming the Earth. At some point groups interbred, and now we’re all about 2% Neanderthal. Interestingly, we know that we’re descending only from male Neanderthals. That’s because the only genes we find from them are on chromosomes passed down through male lineage, but no Neanderthal DNA has been inherited through female-inherited mitochondria. There might have been human women who joined up with Neanderthal tribes and produced babies, but if so those tribes all went extinct. Male Neanderthals might have joined up with our tribes on occasion, perhaps our species met up occasionally for swingers parties, or other mating circumstances which are more unsavory.

Learn More: “We’re Not Entirely Human”