Discovery: Neandertal Genome Draft Sequence Completed

An international team of scientists have announced the completion of the draft sequence of the Neandertal genome. Neandertals (Homo neanderthalensis) are our closest known relatives. They are closer relatives to us than chimpanzees, which are our closest living relatives. Our species, Homo sapiens, diverged from chimpanzees between 5 and 8 million years ago. Neandertals (Homo neanderthalensis) are thought to have shared a common ancestor with us as recently as 500,000 years ago. Science magazine has published The Neandertal Genome, a website devoted to the announcement and its implications.