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ID 15975
Human and mtDNA variation
Description:
In 1997, German researchers isolated DNA fragments from a 30,000 year old Neandertal bone. The fragments came from the Neandertal's mitochondria energy-producing organelles scattered in large numbers throughout cells. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been used for human evolutionary studies since the 1970s.
When comparing Neandertal and human mtDNA, researchers found that the differences between the sequences put Neandertals outside the range of variation of modern humans.
Keywords:
human evolutionary studies,neandertal bone,dna fragments,german researchers,organelles,mitochondria,large numbers,sequences,variation,cells,1970s
This work by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.Related content:
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