Skip to main content
Log in

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms shared between modern humans and neanderthals: Adaptive convergence or evidence for interspecific hybridization?

  • Short Communications
  • Published:
Russian Journal of Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An analysis of the variability of the nucleotide sequences in the mitochondrial genome of modern humans, neanderthals, Denisovans, and other primates has shown that there are shared polymorphisms at positions 2758 and 7146 between modern Homo sapiens (in phylogenetic cluster L2′3′4′5′6) and Homo neanderthalensis (in the group of European neanderthals younger than 48 000 years). It is suggested that the convergence may be due to adaptive changes in the mitochondrial genomes of modern humans and neanderthals or interspecific hybridization associated with mtDNA recombination.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. Green, R.E., Krause, J., Briggs, A.W., et al., A draft sequence of the Neandertal genome, Science, 2010, vol. 328, pp. 710–722.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Reich, D., Green, R.E., Kircher, M., et al., Genetic history of an archaic hominin group from Denisova Cave in Siberia, Nature, 2010, vol. 468, pp. 1053–1060.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sankararaman, S., Patterson, N., Li, H., et al., The date of interbreeding between Neandertals and modern humans, PLoS Genet., 2012, vol. 8, p. e1002947.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Durand, E.Y., Patterson, N., Reich, D., and Slatkin M., Testing for ancient admixture between closely related populations, Mol. Biol. Evol., 2011, vol. 28, pp. 2239–2252.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Serre, D., Langaney, A., Chech, M., et al., No evidence of Neandertal mtDNA contribution to early modern humans, PLoS Biol., 2004, vol. 2, p. e57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ghirotto, S., Tassi, F., Benazzo, A., and Barbujani G., No evidence of Neandertal admixture in the mitochondrial genomes of early European modern humans and contemporary Europeans, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 2011, vol. 146, pp. 242–252.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Reich, D., Patterson, N., Kircher, M., et al., Denisova admixture and the first modern human dispersals into Southeast Asia and Oceania, Am. J. Hum. Genet., 2011, vol. 89, pp. 516–528.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rokas, A., Ladoukakis, E., and Zouros E., Animal mitochondrial DNA recombination revisited, Trends Ecol. Evol., 2003, vol. 18, pp. 411–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Librado, P. and Rozas, J., DnaSP v5: a software for comprehensive analysis of DNA polymorphism data, Bioinformatics, 2009, vol. 25, pp. 1451–1452.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Tamura, K., Peterson, D., Peterson, N., et al., MEGA5: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis using maximum likelihood, evolutionary distance, and maximum parsimony methods, Mol. Biol. Evol., 2011, vol. 28, pp. 2731–2739.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Soares, P., Ermini, L., Thomson, N., et al., Correcting for purifying selection: an improved human mitochondrial molecular clock, Am. J. Hum. Genet., 2009, vol. 84, pp. 740–759.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dalén, L., Orlando, L., Shapiro, B., et al., Partial genetic turnover in Neandertals: continuity in the East and population replacement in the West, Mol. Biol. Evol., 2012, vol. 29, pp. 1893–1897.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ruiz-Pesini, E. and Wallace, D.C., Evidence for adaptive selection acting on the tRNA and rRNA genes of human mitochondrial DNA, Hum. Mutat., 2006, vol. 27, pp. 1072–1081.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Woolley, S., Johnson, J., Smith, M.J., et al., TreeSAAP: selection on amino acid properties using phylogenetic trees, Bioinformatics, 2003, vol. 19, pp. 671–672.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. A. Malyarchuk.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © B.A. Malyarchuk, 2013, published in Genetika, 2013, Vol. 49, No. 9, pp. 1120–1123.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Malyarchuk, B.A. Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms shared between modern humans and neanderthals: Adaptive convergence or evidence for interspecific hybridization?. Russ J Genet 49, 975–978 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795413080115

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795413080115

Keywords

Navigation