ARCHAEOLOGISTS
EMBARK ON GENE STUDY
Copyright 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
[ July 7th 2005 ]
German
and U.S. archaeologists are embarking on a project
to reconstruct the Neanderthal genome in the hope
of learning more of the prehistoric beings who
originally inhabited Europe. The project is being
carried out at the Leipzig-based institute, Associated
Press reports.
In an
interview with the German weekly Die Zeit, Rubin
said the research would amount to more than just
a spectacular display of science. "Firstly, we
will learn a lot about the Neanderthals. Secondly,
we will learn a lot about the uniqueness of human
beings. And thirdly, it's simply cool," Rubin
said.
During
the Pleistocene, the polar ice caps were locked
in a cycle of retreat and advance. When they retreated,
temperatures climbed and deciduous forest covered
Europe. When the ice caps advanced, temperatures
plummeted and the landscape turned into snowy
tundra.
In order
to survive these ice ages, heidelbergensis evolved
physical adaptations to the cold, and became the
Neanderthals. They existed 30,000 to 40,000 years
ago. (source: BBC)
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