Researchers Remake Neanderthal DNA

For many years there has been a large debate about modern humans and their relationship to Neanderthals. Neanderthals were a species of humans that first appeared about 350,000 years ago in parts of what is now Europe and Asia. Neanderthals were known to have larger brains than we do, large noses, and were able to adapt to the colder climates. They were a more modern type of caveman that were able to develop the use of stone, wood, bone, and other elements to their advantage.

Researchers have recently extracted DNA from bones of that ancient Neanderthal and had come to the conclusion that Neanderthals have the same adaptation of a gene that is known to play a large role in the development of human language skills as well as grammar. The gene is called FOXP2.

Well, we all had to start somewhere. One gene can be the basis of an entire evolutionary experience. The gene that developed language, honestly, should not have been a better type of gene to associate with humans through the times. If you think about it, without a type of language, we would not be where we are today.

Scientists are very confident that there is a way to recreate the Neanderthal gene sequence and have been working out the bugs for some time now. But is this a good idea? I mean, this is almost like a Jurassic Park episode without the man eating dinosaurs.

By recreating this DNA, we can look back in time and actually find out what happened to our former human species and follow the yellow brick road and see exactly how we adapted. Many people think that modern humans evolved not by Neanderthal evolution, but by a mixing of the Neanderthal and some other species. By recreating this DNA, we'll be able to determine if there is any truth to that theory.

As much as this seems to be a positive idea, there are negatives. We need to keep an ideal look at the situation and make sure that we just recreate the DNA and not the actual Neanderthal. When technology comes into play, sometimes we tend to get very adventurous. Along with the idea to remake this DNA, the same researchers are also hoping to reconstruct the genome of the Mammoth and a Cave Bear. Slowly but surly this can turn into Jurassic Park.

But like all parts of 350,000 year old things, there are missing gaps that we have to deal with. As of right now, the DNA has missing portions that scientists are still looking to fill to create the proper remake. This puzzle piece is essential because if they incorporate the wrong genome with the DNA, then we won't have the correct information that we are looking to unearth. But how do we know what the right puzzle piece is when the majority of the DNA that was recovered is that of bacteria that settled in the tissues after the Neanderthal died? In reality, what the researchers have is DNA that is contaminated and is a long way from finding the decontaminant to determine the true DNA.

All and all, this may be a great idea as long as the completed DNA is not turned into a cloned subject. Being modern humans doesn't exactly mean that we're the smartest. But then again, it could be so easy, even a caveman could do it!