1% to 4% of modern genome is Neandertal

Neat!

Don't try to convince me that Neanderthals are extinct.

Interesting analysis in the book about the Neanderthal genome. When two different social strata mix -- as in slaveholders and their slaves, or colonialists and the native populations that colonize -- genetic drift tends to be in the direction of from the dominant class to the subjugated class. Masters impregnating the underlings.

Yet the evidence for Neanderthal genes in modern human genome suggests the opposite, that Neanderthals contributed sperm to Modern Women. Assuming we assume Neanderthals were subjugated that is.

They eventually died out. But they weren't necessarily second class citizens. It could have been something genetic, some disease (like smallpox) they weren't resistant to that took them out.

Apparently the Yamnaya were very influential. No, I never heard of them before, either.

A Handful Of Bronze-Age Men Could Have Fathered Two Thirds Of Europeans

Fascinating -- especially that chart.

Quote :

One might speculate that, if a male elite was established with the advantages of Yamnaya culture, along with a paternal ancestry from a very few Yamnaya and/or European Y lineages, they could have monopolized women and had children with a large number of partners.

I believe another way to interpret the data, one that maybe fits the known history better, is that a mass die-off whittled the genetic variety at some time in our history.

Although I do recall reading that Kublai Khan fathered like 10,000 children? Or was it Attila The Hun? I guess it doesn't matter, they were both too recent (Kublai = 800 years ago, Attila = 1600 years ago).