Neanderthals Are Us! Are We! Whichever...

Seriously!

My daughter sent me the link to her DNA test results on 23andMe and the information is much more complicated and broad than the information I received through Ancestry.com. Either that or I just don't understand much about genetics. (Pretty likely)  

According to 23andMe, all humans beings outside of Africa have between 1% and 4% Neanderthal DNA. Neanderthals were concentrated in  Western Asia and Europe, especially northern Europe, and most heavily in what is now Finland.

From 23andMe.com

About 35,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens from East Africa migrated northward into what is now Europe and Scandinavia, where they came into contact with and bred with married Neanderthals. The Neanderthals went extinct 30,000 years ago, and then during an ice age 20,000 years ago, surviving Homo sapiens were able to migrate to every continent on the planet except for Antarctica. Ta Dah! So that's how we are partly cave people.  

from 23andMe.com

In addition to learning that she has 2.7% Neanderthal DNA, my daughter also learned about her haplogroup. I don't really understand that well enough to explain it, but this is what her results show:

From 23andMe.com

from 23andMe.com

She is part of haplogroup W.

And her ancestry might include the DNA matching DNA from these countries.

from 23andMe.com

DNA matching that of people in Ireland, UK and the Netherlands makes sense and is more specific information than what I received from Ancestry.com. I knew I had ancestors from Holland, so this matches what I knew. What Pakistan and northern India have to do with our ancestry is a mystery to me.  

Kind of fun! Even though I'm not sure what some of it means.

Now Just Stop

This is getting confusing. 

I am still waiting for the results of my DNA test, and I had thought that I would learn about the Neanderthal/Homo Sapien components of the wonder that is me (I?).

But NOW, thanks to those pesky anthropologists, I might have to learn about Denisovans and an unknown species.  And I guess that the Homo Sapiens that evolved into modern man comprise the three other species mentioned.  So I think that means I am 100% HS, but made UP of the other three.  Right?

There might be more to me than I thought?

And did Denisovans have royalty?  

Could I????

This is why I bought a DNA spit kit.

Well, not exactly this.  I don't even know if I will find out if he was my great...however many.......grandfather, but apparently he might be an ancestor of millions of people today. He ruled a huge empire, and, let's just say, he wasn't a nice man when the spoils of war were involved.

I am more intrigued by the Neanderthal/Homo Sapiens mystery. Scientists speculate that before the Homo Sapiens won out in the Taking Over the World contest, some of them might have had marriages relationships with Neanderthals, and people who come from Europe are more likely than people from anywhere else on the planet to have a Neanderthal ancestor.  I already know I am British, Dutch and mostly Irish.  But that's all I know.

I ordered this kit from Ancestry.com and in 6-8 weeks, I'll find out who I REALLY am.

Did Neanderthals have royalty?