Genetic evidence indicates that at least some of our modern human immune system
Genetic evidence indicates that at least some of our modern human immune system benefitted from ancestral mating with Archaic Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans. There is no question of whether or not interbreeding occurred between early humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans: it did. The past 500,000 years or so has become crowded with discoveries of “new” species. Read the “New Early Humans Discovered in Morocco” article, the “Homo floresiensis update” article and the “Homo naledi Update” article before you answer the following questions:Archaic Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, Denisovans, H. floresiensis and H. naledi certainly looked different from today’s modern humans, but were they completely different species compared to humans? Or, do you think that the earlier forms of hominins from H. erectus to H. sapiens could be part of a very wide range of early “human” variation? Should Neanderthals, Denisovans and H. naledi continue to be classified as distinctly different paleo-species compared to modern Homo sapiens sapiens? Why or why not? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. Based on your research, what do YOU think and why?