Neanderthal Mystery | National Geographic

after death

after death DNA quickly degrades the tiny fragments

DNA quickly degrades the tiny fragments

DNA quickly degrades the tiny fragments a hundred bases long three million times

a hundred bases long three million times

a hundred bases long three million times smaller than when alive but then the

smaller than when alive but then the

smaller than when alive but then the degradation slows down and it can

degradation slows down and it can

degradation slows down and it can survive in this fragmented form for

survive in this fragmented form for

survive in this fragmented form for thousands of years as long as the

thousands of years as long as the

thousands of years as long as the conditions are right if you want to

conditions are right if you want to

conditions are right if you want to recover ancient DNA hopefully you’ll

recover ancient DNA hopefully you’ll

recover ancient DNA hopefully you’ll find a site where there’s limited

find a site where there’s limited

find a site where there’s limited ability for oxygen and moisture to get

ability for oxygen and moisture to get

ability for oxygen and moisture to get into the bone and further decompose it

into the bone and further decompose it

into the bone and further decompose it and great extremes of temperature won’t

and great extremes of temperature won’t

and great extremes of temperature won’t be occurring

in 1980 Croatian archaeologists

in 1980 Croatian archaeologists excavated Vindhya cave we found a mass

excavated Vindhya cave we found a mass

excavated Vindhya cave we found a mass of boats among them an unremarkable

of boats among them an unremarkable

of boats among them an unremarkable fragment known as v80 for some reason

fragment known as v80 for some reason

fragment known as v80 for some reason this bone is packed with DNA

it contains more usable DNA than any

it contains more usable DNA than any other Neanderthal bone has ever been

other Neanderthal bone has ever been

other Neanderthal bone has ever been tested

tested

tested the quite extraordinary rich content of

the quite extraordinary rich content of

the quite extraordinary rich content of DNA in this bomb tell us that there was

DNA in this bomb tell us that there was

DNA in this bomb tell us that there was some sort of special condition this cave

some sort of special condition this cave

some sort of special condition this cave but what was critical for preservation

but what was critical for preservation

but what was critical for preservation of DNA in this ball

of DNA in this ball

of DNA in this ball perhaps the temperature was right the

perhaps the temperature was right the

perhaps the temperature was right the humidity the soil but other bones in the

humidity the soil but other bones in the

humidity the soil but other bones in the Vindhya cave have not yielded as much

Vindhya cave have not yielded as much

Vindhya cave have not yielded as much DNA there’s something special about the

DNA there’s something special about the

DNA there’s something special about the 80 this fragment his shape may be a clue

it’s widely believed that the and

it’s widely believed that the and battles in this part of Europe practiced

battles in this part of Europe practiced

battles in this part of Europe practiced cannibalism whether for food or for

cannibalism whether for food or for

cannibalism whether for food or for ritual it was splitting bones and

ritual it was splitting bones and

ritual it was splitting bones and defleshing them if v8 he was

defleshing them if v8 he was

defleshing them if v8 he was cannibalized he may help explain why its

cannibalized he may help explain why its

cannibalized he may help explain why its DNA was so well preserved stripped of

DNA was so well preserved stripped of

DNA was so well preserved stripped of any organic material the bone would not

any organic material the bone would not

any organic material the bone would not have attracted the same interest from

have attracted the same interest from

have attracted the same interest from animals insects or microbes and his DNA

animals insects or microbes and his DNA

animals insects or microbes and his DNA were not deteriorated so quickly

there are hundreds and hundreds of

there are hundreds and hundreds of rental bonds many of them have been

rental bonds many of them have been

rental bonds many of them have been tested for Neanderthal DNA only this

tested for Neanderthal DNA only this

tested for Neanderthal DNA only this ball could unlock its crates of

ball could unlock its crates of

ball could unlock its crates of Neanderthal genome