Low coverage sequence of the genome of the Mezmaiskaya 1 infant

As part of the analysis of the high coverage Altai Neandertal genome project we have sequenced to low coverage the genome of the Mezmaiskaya 1 infant. The sequence libraries were generated from the rib of a Neandertal neonate found in Mezmaiskaya cave, Russia, as described in Golovanova et al (1). The neonate ribs are part of a partial skeleton found in quadrant M-26 of layer 3 of Mezmaiskaya cave. Animal teeth for layer 3 have been dated by 14C to more than 45kya, and ESR dating estimates the Mezmaiskaya neonate to be 60-70 ky old (2). 1. Golovanova eta l (1999). Mezmaiskaya Cave: A Neanderthal Occupation in the Northern Caucasus. Current Anthropology, Vol. 40, No. 1, (Feb., 1999), pp. 77-86 2. Skinner et al (2005) ESR dating at Mezmaiskaya Cave, Russia. Appl Radiat Isot. 2005 Feb;62(2):219-24