I am a neanderthal

Got a job offer but unfortunately it was in Marlowe, and would mean a six hour train round trip. The good news is that it means the package I've put together works in stirring up some interest. Sent CDs to a couple of newspapers, sent stuff to local agency, sent stuff to London agencies and so on. Feeling coldy today.

Betty home this evening in time to share a delicious fish pie that Lorraine had cooked. She is on crutches after damaging her knee, although details of what has happened to it, are still thin on the ground but seems to be ligament or cartilage damage.

Got reading about Neanderthals. Early humans fascinate me these days. Turns out that people originating in Europe and Asia have 2.5% Neanderthal DNA, as there was interbreeding. When the original Homo Sapiens were shuffling out of Africa it seems they bumped into Neanderthals in what's now the middle east. They seemed to have mixed with them genetically and then spread out to populate the world. Modern African populations don't have Neanderthal DNA.

What I didn't know was that they have recently found the tip of a toe (or little finger) in western Siberia called Denisovian Man. This is a third group of humans who appeared to have existed as the same time as Neanderthals and us. Turns out that analysis of current DNA compared to Denisovian Man shows that Melanesians and Aboriginals have traces of a DNA match with Denisovians. This means that current humans also mixed with Denisovian Man.

There is speculation that Denisovian man and Neanderthals might have mixed too. The genetic history of mankind is less simple than we thought. Read this New Scientist article here for more about the new discovery.

Much buoyed by Chelsea performing regally in the European Cup, trailing after the first leg 1-3 against Napoli, they performed magnificently to win 4-1 at Stamford Bridge tonight, and so winning 5-4 on aggregate. Chelsea have had all kinds of problems this season, including sacking their newly signed hotshot manager after a string of losses. Texted Anton afterwards but he seemed muted in his celebrations. It is inexplicable how a football team doing well can make you feel happy really, but it does.

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