Woolly mammoths and Neanderthals may have shared genetic traits: Findings...

[Ashwin_s]

@evograd

In other words, the mutations that might have adapted the neanderthal and mammoth LEPR genes to become cold-tolerant were completely different

Ok thanks for the info.

[evograd (Blogging Graduate Student)]

@Ashwin_s

I agree… do you think it will clear peer review?

It may well be published in a fairly low-tier journal. It’s basically a literature report, the sort of thing a student might do as part of the their Master’s thesis, for example. Nothing particularly ground-breaking, but a passable overview. I’m quite surprised it’s getting so much media attention to be honest. The “new findings” are the sort of thing you could find out by reading half a dozen papers.

[T_aquaticus]

@Ashwin_s

The paper talks about LEPR being present in both neanderthals and woolly mammoths. It claoms that the genes show “molecular similarity”…

If you could find out what those similarities are it would be helpful.

Edit: It appears others have found this info.

[Ashwin_s]

@T_aquaticus

If you could find out what those similarities are it would be helpful.

I was expecting the paper to define these molecular similarities… it doesn’t .

[T_aquaticus]

@Ashwin_s

I was expecting the paper to define these molecular similarities… it doesn’t .

That’s unfortunate. The author was a bit too vague in certain sections, which is somewhat forgivable in a review article.