New Method Could Map the DNA of Neanderthals
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Researchers have sequenced the DNA of two extinct cave bears and say their method is accurate enough to try on extinct humans such as Neanderthals, according to a report published Thursday.
The cave bears are the first extinct animals to have their genes sequenced, and the findings can be used to determine the precise relationship between the 40,000-year-old bears and living species. But the main message is that the technique should be useful in examining Neanderthal DNA, the researchers report in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.
