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Twelve Years of Neandertal Genetic Discoveries: State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges

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Continuity and Discontinuity in the Peopling of Europe

Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology ((VERT))

Abstract

The first mitochondrial DNA sequence from a Neandertal specimen was recovered in 1997. Now the completion of the whole Neandertal genome has been announced to be completed in the forthcoming months. About one ­million nucleotides of nuclear DNA have already been sequenced and so far 15 Neandertal specimens have delivered authentic mitochondrial sequences. This information has helped us to better understand the evolution of the Neandertal gene pool over space and time and to address the long-standing question of possible admixture with their modern human relatives. This chapter reviews current knowledge on NeandertalDNA sequences and presents future challenges related to Neandertal genomics.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Dr. Marina Faerman, Dr. Colin Smith, and one supplemental anonymous reviewer for critical reading of the manuscript and helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Oster Voldgade 5-7, Kobenhavn, K 1350, Denmark

    Ludovic Orlando

  2. Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, IFR 128 Biosciences Lyon-Gerland, CNRS UMR 5242, INRA, UCB Lyon1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 46 Allée d’Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France

    Catherine Hänni

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Correspondence to Ludovic Orlando .

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  1. , EFS, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie biocult, Université de la Méditerranée, Bd Pierre Dramard, Marseille Cedex 15, 13344, France

    Silvana Condemi

  2. Stiftung Neanderthal Museum, Talstraße 300, Mettmann, 40822, Germany

    Gerd-Christian Weniger

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Orlando, L., Hänni, C. (2011). Twelve Years of Neandertal Genetic Discoveries: State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges. In: Condemi, S., Weniger, GC. (eds) Continuity and Discontinuity in the Peopling of Europe. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0492-3_21

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