Expert: John Shea - 11/11/2009

Question
hello JOHN , please, 1/ what is genetic similar in Homo Neandertal and Homo Sapiens ?                   1/ Quel est la proximité genetique entre Homo Neandertal and Homo Sapiens ?                     2/what is  the origin of portugal people and spain people                                                 2/Quel est l'origine des peuples portuguais et espagnols ?     MERCI.  

Answer
Dear Jose
Most comparisons of Neandertal and human DNA suggest many similarities, but Neandertals are something like six times more different from any human than any living human is from any other living human.
Spanish and Portuguese people are descended from African humans (Homo sapiens) who dispersed into that part of Europe around 35,000 years ago.
Some fossils from Iberia are claimed to show evidence of interbreeding between Neandertals and Homo sapiens, but this evidence is controversial and disputed by experts.

Cheers,
John Shea