Neanderthal Ancestry DNA Test

How much of a Neanderthal are you?

 

The 40,000 years that Neanderthals coexisted with modern humans was enough time for different genetic mixing events to take place between them, and this is confirmed by the multitude of studies carried out since the first sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010. As a consequence, we can currently detect a certain percentage of Neanderthal ancestry DNA in our genome.

This percentage is estimated to reach a maximum of 4% in non-African populations, in which the percentage is usually lower, due to less contact throughout history, given the geographical distribution of Neanderthal populations.

To carry out the calculation of your Neanderthal ancestry percentage, your DNA is compared with the DNA of various Neanderthal ancestry samples following various statistical models supported by prestigious studies, we can infer what proportion of your DNA comes from a genetic mixture between our ancestors and the Neanderthals, before their extinction more than 30,000 years ago.

What were the Neanderthals like?

Thanks to the neanderthal ancestry technology, we can know it: Neanderthals, along with Denisovans, are one of the closest extinct species to modern humans, Homo sapiens. They lived in a historical era spanning from 400,000 to 30,000 years ago, mainly in West Eurasia.

Fossil and genetic evidence indicates that Neanderthal man and Homo sapiens lived together for about 40,000 years and share a common ancestor from about 550,000 years ago, Homo heidelbergensis, which became extinct about 200,000 years ago. Archaeological records have made it possible to study in detail the characteristics of the Neanderthals, from the physical features or the tools they used, to the reconstruction of their genome, from bone remains in which DNA has been preserved for thousands of years, allowing its extraction and study.

Neanderthals had an elongated and flattened skull, with a prominent frontal part and well-marked eyebrow arches, as well as a nose generally larger and wider than that of Homo sapiens. Their average height was lower than that of modern humans, hovering between 1.50 and 1.75 meters, but their hips and shoulders were wider, and they had particularly robust musculature.

Contrary to popular belief, evidence shows that Neanderthals had a sophisticated intelligence, as well as a developed appreciation for cultural symbols. At the sites, tools built by them for multiple tasks, especially hunting, have been found. In addition, they had been using fire for at least 200,000 years.

They have even found remains of ornaments made from bones, as well as paintings in caves, which show that they had a certain capacity for symbolic and artistic expression. In addition, various studies and evidence suggest that Neanderthals may have already developed the ability to speak. Their vocal anatomy, as well as the bone structure of the ear are quite similar to ours and they present a version of the FOXP2 gene similar to modern humans, which is essential for the correct development of language and speech.