Neanderthals’ Mysterious Extinction
Neanderthal DNA reveals50,000-year-old viruses that could help explain their extinction. In a study ofancient Neanderthal DNA, researchers found traces of 3 viruses that causecolds, cold sores, genital warts, and cancer.
Ancient humans mighthave been responsible for spreading these bugs, but I don’t think we need toblame only homo erectus, for there were several types of ancient humansaround at the same time as Neanderthals.
Most experts think theNeanderthal species went extinct from a variety of causes, including changingclimate, low fertility rates and human interactions. As can be seen fromillnesses that swept through American Natives after the arrival of Europeansettlers, trying to recover from unfamiliar illnesses introduced by distantcousins wouldn’t have helped. Poor health can have a negative impact onsurvival.
Not only could theseancient viruses help explain the Neanderthals’ extinction, but they might helpus better understand the modern versions that still infect humans today.
About 54,000 years ago,a group of Neanderthals lived in Chagyrskaya Cave in Southern Siberia.Researchers studied the DNA data of two people from the cave to look for 3viruses: adenovirus, herpesvirus, and papillomamirus. Adenovirus can causecolds and flu, herpesviruses can cause cold sores or genital warts, and somecancers are linked to papillomavirus.
A 2021 study discoveredadenovirus in 31,600-year-old human teeth from Siberia. This more-recent studyis nearly 50,000 years old. Some experts estimate humans and Neanderthalsinterbred between 60,000 and 50,000 years ago. Besides DNA, they probably passedaround diseases.
A 2016 study suggestedthat breeding with Neanderthals may have boosted humans’ immunity to previouslyunknown diseases. But the Neanderthals may have been less lucky. A cold doesnot have to be fatal to decrease hunting efficiency or other abilities. With analready small population, getting sick might have contributed to Neanderthals’extinction roughly 40,000 years ago.
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