Lol… yes, let’s chat over PM on this. That said… I agree that 0.5-3% is not insignificant but when you think about it from the perspective of when the interactions are likely to have happened and how many times we’ve had expansion and contractions of different genomes I would expect a higher genomic representation. It is also hard to know whether the percentage we are attributing to Neanderthals is actually the result of considerable genetic intermingling or just the result of one or two single very successful offspring. After all, Genghis Khan’s Y chromosomal lineage is carried by 0.5% of men out there.
The Ghenghis Khan thing is actually a myth. Having seen a recent sculpted recreation of a neanderthal man... as a particularly nervous female speciman I'd choose him as a mate over most male
H.
sapiens. His gentle face just made me feel safe. He wasn't ugly or anything either, he just looked like a dude you'd expect to find caringly tending some homestead in the woods, who would drop everything to help you if you needed his aid even if you were complete strangers.
BUT ON THE TANG THING:
No, heck no. Why? Because humans are dumb and largely breed/engineer things for vanity/convenience rather than sanity. It's because of humans that thousands of french bulldogs, english bulldogs and pugs are
still being born every year despite scores of veterinarians pleading that these breeds should no longer be bred (or that they be bred healthier with proper faces,) because the breeding of these dogs is fully akin to torture as it condemns each and every puppy to terrible physical suffering.
Because people think that these poor things which need surgical reconstruction of their skulls in order to breathe properly and cannot reproduce without medical intervention are 'cute.' These puppers are also extremely prone to severe eye problems, skin infections, luxating patella, heatstroke... the list goes on. Without surgery these dogs spend their entire lives wheezing because their airways are so horrifically narrow. Quote my vet training: "It's like breathing through a straw -
forever."
So-called teacup versions of dog breeds are riddled with many of these same issues.
So, a 'teacup' tang might not have such severe medical problems as a pug but forcing such extreme dwarfism on any animal is usually very bad for their health. Nope. Instead, let's just keep exploring the ocean - perhaps somewhere out there is a beautiful, as-yet unknown tiny tang species. Scientists are discovering new fish species every day so it certainly isn't impossible!
I really don't think laboratory genetic modification would work to create these tiny tangs - it would have to be done via captive breeding. Can it be done? Absolutely! I've no doubt! Should it be done? Absolutely not.
Anyway, that's my opinion. Sorry if it was a touch spicy! Thanks for the interesting question!
