# Population Genetics > mtDNA Haplogroups >  Neanderthal mtDNA Discovered?

## Power77

As I was researching on the Internet I came accross an interresting link about Neanderthal mtDNA.The link can be found on Anthrogenica as far as I'm concerned. It does seem(according to that link)that Neanderthal mtDNA may have been modern after all and not only that it may have been the mtDNA L lineages! However I don't know how reliable that link is but I do think it may give us a new way at looking at Paleothranpological data and defining what is human. Or could the thing be due to mere DNA contamination? Or could it be homoplasy? Or even worse a hoax? What do you guys thinks?

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## Engel

Interesting find. So they could have been closer to humans than originally thought

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## Power77

If such info is true then I also wonder what their Y-chromosome might have been for that matter! Considering that the mtDNA is L, it could have been anything from haplogroup A to haplogroup CT! For some reason, I wonder if the A00 lineages found in African Americans and in Cameroon may have something to do with such a potential discovery. Then technically Neanderthals were uniparentally speaking closer to modern Sub Saharan African populations than they were to modern Eurasians. Which is incredebly odd considering the belief that every modern Eurasian is at least 1-4% Neanderthal unlike Africans who seem to lack such admixture. I guess we need more aDNA from the Paleolithic...

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## LeBrok

> As I was researching on the Internet I came accross an interresting link about Neanderthal mtDNA.The link can be found on Anthrogenica as far as I'm concerned. It does seem(according to that link)that Neanderthal mtDNA may have been modern after all and not only that it may have been the mtDNA L lineages! However I don't know how reliable that link is but I do think it may give us a new way at looking at Paleothranpological data and defining what is human. Or could the thing be due to mere DNA contamination? Or could it be homoplasy? Or even worse a hoax? What do you guys thinks?


Try finding the scientific paper their conclusions were based on. Then we can discuss the case.




> defining what is human


 Definition of human is mainly philosophical. Technically Neanderthals were hominids of Homo Erectus ancestry. They were not much less intelligent than Homo Sapiens, created art and buried their dead denoting spirituality. I think if they existed today they would be considered humans.

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## Fire Haired14

> As I was researching on the Internet I came accross an interresting link about Neanderthal mtDNA.The link can be found on Anthrogenica as far as I'm concerned. It does seem(according to that link)that Neanderthal mtDNA may have been modern after all and not only that it may have been the mtDNA L lineages! However I don't know how reliable that link is but I do think it may give us a new way at looking at Paleothranpological data and defining what is human. Or could the thing be due to mere DNA contamination? Or could it be homoplasy? Or even worse a hoax? What do you guys thinks?


All human mtDNA haplogroups are one way or another a subclade of a haplogroup labeled L, like L3. Neanderthals, Denosovians, and Homo Hiederberganus were not descended of homo sapien mitochondrial eve, who I guess you can say had mtDNA L*.

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## Power77

Here is the name of the scientific paper: Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms Shared between Modern Humans and Neanderthals: Adaptive Convergence or Evidence for Interspecific Hybridization?

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## Fire Haired14

> Here is the name of the scientific paper: Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms Shared between Modern Humans and Neanderthals: Adaptive Convergence or Evidence for Interspecific Hybridization?


I don't really know anything about Neanderthals, so i guess it is possible they were descended of mitochondrial Eve.

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## MtDNA

Wow, I wonder if it is a descendant of L, or if it is proto-L. What would they call proto-L haplogroups, by the way. There are no more alphabetical symbols left. Perhaps they can use defunct letters of the alphabet for them. Or, they could use greek letters with very little resemblence to latin. They could even use punctuation marks.

How would you like to see a haplogroup Δ2θ7?

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## Tomenable

So what percent of mtDNA in Eurasia today might be from Neanderthals?

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## MtDNA

> So what percent of mtDNA in Eurasia today might be from Neanderthals?


Most likely 0%. If we ever find someone carrying Neanderthal MtDNA, it would be a rarity, since, Neanderthals seperated way before the formation of MtMRCA.

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