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Deeply divergent archaic mitochondrial genome provides lower time boundary for African gene flow into Neanderthals

Author

Listed:
  • Cosimo Posth

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Christoph Wißing

    (Biogeology, University of Tübingen)

  • Keiko Kitagawa

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    National Museum of Natural History, UMR 7194 CNRS)

  • Luca Pagani

    (Estonian Biocentre
    University of Padova)

  • Laura van Holstein

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Fernando Racimo

    (New York Genome Center)

  • Kurt Wehrberger

    (Ulmer Museum)

  • Nicholas J. Conard

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen)

  • Claus Joachim Kind

    (State Office for Cultural Heritage Baden-Württemberg)

  • Hervé Bocherens

    (Biogeology, University of Tübingen
    Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen)

  • Johannes Krause

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

Abstract

Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. Nuclear DNA indicated Neanderthals as a sister group of Denisovans after diverging from modern humans. However, the closer affinity of the Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to modern humans than Denisovans has recently been suggested as the result of gene flow from an African source into Neanderthals before 100,000 years ago. Here we report the complete mtDNA of an archaic femur from the Hohlenstein–Stadel (HST) cave in southwestern Germany. HST carries the deepest divergent mtDNA lineage that splits from other Neanderthals ∼270,000 years ago, providing a lower boundary for the time of the putative mtDNA introgression event. We demonstrate that a complete Neanderthal mtDNA replacement is feasible over this time interval even with minimal hominin introgression. The highly divergent HST branch is indicative of greater mtDNA diversity during the Middle Pleistocene than in later periods.

Suggested Citation

  • Cosimo Posth & Christoph Wißing & Keiko Kitagawa & Luca Pagani & Laura van Holstein & Fernando Racimo & Kurt Wehrberger & Nicholas J. Conard & Claus Joachim Kind & Hervé Bocherens & Johannes Krause, 2017. "Deeply divergent archaic mitochondrial genome provides lower time boundary for African gene flow into Neanderthals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms16046
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16046
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    1. Leonardo Vallini & Carlo Zampieri & Mohamed Javad Shoaee & Eugenio Bortolini & Giulia Marciani & Serena Aneli & Telmo Pievani & Stefano Benazzi & Alberto Barausse & Massimo Mezzavilla & Michael D. Pet, 2024. "The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.

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