Fate of the Neanderthals

I recently watched Neanderthal Code on the National Geographic Channel. Towards the end of the show they proposed that the neanderthals did not go extinct. Instead, neanderthals interbred with modern humans and were assimilated into the modern human population.I just don't see how this could be given the genetic evidence that has thus far come to light. First, it appears that no human living today (or very, very few) carry mitochondrial DNA from neanderthals. The same can be said for the Y-chromosome. You would think that if interbreeding was common that either the maternal or paternal lineages would be seen in modern populations, especially in European populations where interbreeding would have been the most common.Admittedly, these conclusions are being drawn from incomplete information. Just last month scientists announced that the neanderthal genome has been completely sequenced. They are hoping to release the results of the neanderthal-human comparison later this year. LinkWhat I am wondering is this. Given the lack of neanderthal mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome lineages in modern populations, should we expect to see other neanderthal genes in modern populations? What do you guys predict will be found in the neanderthal genome?

I don't think that would be difficult. If the lineages split between 500,000 and 700,000 years ago then you would expect to see a certain amount of synonymous mutations (mutations that do not change the amino acid sequence of the protein being coded for). You would also expect a certain amount of divergence between introns. If there is a lack of synonymous mutations and differences in introns then I think this could point to interbreeding.

That is one of the important genes that they talked about in the article I linked to in the OP. Another interesting candidate is FOXP2.

I agree. The evidence is strongly in favor of a horizontal transfer from neanderthals to modern humans. It could still be the product of common ancestry, but those chances are pretty slim.

That's assuming that the neanderthal could move inside the range of the lighter and slimmer cro-mag spears that were assisted by an atlatl. Tech vs. braun.