Rocker Ozzy Osbourne is a Real Neanderthal

I should have gotten to this earlier, but the lead singer of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, has had his complete genome sequenced by Knome, Inc. One question on the minds of the researchers is how could such a hard-living drug-enjoying guy still be alive at age 61? ABC News reports …

… the most notable differences in Osbourne's genes had to do with how he processes drugs and alcohol. Genes connected to addiction, alcoholism and the absorption of marijuana, opiates and methamphetamines all had unique variations in Osbourne, a few of which Knome geneticists had never seen before.

"He had a change on the regulatory region of the ADH4 gene, a gene associated with alcoholism, that we've never seen before," Conde told ABCnews.com. "He has an increased predisposition for alcohol dependence of something like six times higher. He also had a slight increased risk for cocaine addiction, but he dismissed that. He said that if anyone has done as much cocaine he had, they would have been hooked."

The Prince of Darkness also a 2.6-times increased chance for hallucinations associated with marijuana, though Osbourne said he wouldn't know if that were true because he so rarely smoked marijuana without other drugs also in his system.

Ironically, Osbourne's genes suggest that he is a slow metabolizer of coffee, meaning that he would be more affected by caffeine.

"Turns out that Ozzy's kryptonite is caffeine," Conde said.

In addition, it turns out that Knome gene sequencers found bits of Neanderthal DNA tucked away in Osbourne's genome …

…there's the fact that Osbourne had Neanderthal genes in him.

"People thought that [Neanderthals] had no descendents today, but they do," Pearson said at the conference. "In east Asia and Europe, a lot of us have a little Neanderthal ancestry. We found a sliver of the genes in Ozzy. We also looked at [Knome's] founder, George Chruch, and he has about three times as much as Ozzy does."

Earlier this year, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany reported finding genetic sequences from Neanderthals in the DNA of contemporary people which means the two groups must have interbred.

Contrary to what some of my detractors might believe, a preliminary look at my genetic make-up by Princeton biologist Lee Silver found no Neanderthal sequences in my DNA. (Not that there's anything wrong with Neanderthal heritage.)

Just a heads up: Look for my article in which I reveal the details of my genetic makeup to all the world in the January, 2011 issue of Reason. Like Osbourne I have some genetic variations that suggest a fondness for alcohol and tobacco. On the other hand, I am a fast metabolizer of caffeine. I also do not have a propensity to bite off the heads of bats [YouTube].

Comments

[exposinator]

I am impressed by Ozzy's publicist. "Ozzy is part Neanderthal" feeds perfectly into his image. I smell feces and the odor ain't comin' from me.

[brotherben]

""In east Asia and Europe, a lot of us have a little Neanderthal ancestry..."

This would have fit nicely in a comment thread from Wednesday. The one where we were debating the probabilities of modern men being willing to screw anything even remotely human, as long as they were female.

[Douglas Fletcher]

There's more than one school of thought on that, you might have heard.

[The Man]

IMHO the question is the probability of modern men being willing to screw anything even remotely female. See for example

[Episiarch]

Ozzy clearly has some weird genes. Look at him. As Berke Breathed said, he is the Elvis of heavy metal. The symptom of the universe is written in his eyes.

[Jeff P]

I used to think that the easiest job in music was guitarist for a reggae band.

The answer is clearly Ozzy Osborne. All he has to do is stand there and suck.

[Cyto]

I saw Ozzie in 1983 on the "Blizzard" tour. He was strange back then, but I have to say he worked his ass off on stage. He pretty much willed the audience into a party-frenzy. His continual exhortations to the audience to "Come on, put your fucking hands up!" and "Get the fuck up!" were actually pretty successful, if unconventional methods of leading the party.

And even back then he moved like an 80 year old Parkinson's patient. But the band absolutely rocked, and a good time was had by all. I was on the 5th row and I caught a semi-headless rubber bat tossed by the Prince of Darkness himself. My ears rang for 3 days and I had to go straight from the after party to my SAT exams the next morning, but it was well worth it. You definitely got your money's worth with a Ozzie concert.

[Amakudari]

Yeah, Ozzie has more of a reputation as a showman than a vocalist. There's some good stuff like War Pigs, but there's nothing wrong with a group of solid instrumentalists and a showman.

Also, reggae guitarists have to do the whole syncopation/upstroke thingamajig. Punk is easier.

[Zeb]

You take that back. Ozzy rules!

[sage]

They mapped Pelosi's genes, but the results are secret. Because she's part mostly reptile.

[Timon19]

Are Ozzy and Keith Richards related?

[kinnath]

So she's a V mole then?

[J sub D]

Now we need to find out why Keith Richards. He'll be 67 next month and lived through drug habits that would kill the entire Osbourne clan.

[J sub D]

Make that

Now we need to find out why Keith Richards still lives.

[Syd Henderson]

You were right the first time.

[Amakudari]

He's also a proud graduate of many "Celebrity Most Likely to Die in the Next Year" lists. Clearly a giant among men.

[Invisible Finger]

I'm more interested in Sharon's genes. There's a history of extreme rip-off business practices in her, I wonder if it's genetic.

[BakedPenguin]

Perhaps, but Ozzy would be dead without her.

[Douglas Fletcher]

Her dad was a showbiz agent, you need to know more?

[Cyto]

Obligatory:
"Bubbles! Oh come on Sharon! I'm fucking Ozzy Osbourne, I'm the Prince of fucking Darkness. Evil! Evil! What's fucking evil about a shitload of bubbles!?"

[Xeones]

You SugarFree'd the link.

[Rich]

It was the drugs SFing.

[Irresponsible Hater]

"a preliminary look at my genetic make-up by Princeton biologist Lee Silver found no Neanderthal sequences in my DNA"

I wouldn't have thought that was possible. My understanding on the recent discoveries was that just about everyone with significant European ancestry would have at least some neanderthal ancestry.

I thought the only group that would have virtually no neanderthal genes at all would be Africans, especially east Africans.

[Ron Bailey]

IH: It's a preliminary analysis using the SNP data that I have available. A whole genome scan might turn up long lost Bailey Neanderthal relatives.

[Bronwyn]

Caffeine - CYP1A2

And I guess he's an OPRM1 homozygous variant?

Hmmmm

[BakedPenguin]

But he probably isn't short of CYP2D6...

[Bronwyn]

But probably not an ultrarapid metabolizer, either, else he'd OD quickly. In fact, he may be a poor metabolizer of codeine. Those who are slower to generate morphine from codeine are less likely to obtain benefit from a standard dose, and will require higher doses.

So. I'd guess a 2D6 poor metabolizer, and and OPRM1 homozygous mutant (poor receptor capabilities). Both would make someone more likely to need more drug for effect.

[Bronwyn]

forgive the typos... I hab a bad code and cadnt think clearly

[Tym]

Black Sabbath

[HarHar]

John Hawks says: "I know, it's like the "Weekly World News", but cheez Louise, what a crock!"
http://johnhawks.net/node/14969

[James Ard]

Boy saw him last week at Voodoo Fest and said it was a great show, Neanderthal genes or not.

[Top Men]

Cross Michael Phelps with Keith Richards and we could -- dare I say it? -- RULE. THE. WORLD!

[Mad Scientist]

Ozzy wrote a 3500-word piece in the Sunday Times about the experience. Unfortunately, you need a subscription to read it.

[joshua corning]

How do they know the neanderthal genes are not simply genes humans shared with a common ancestor we had with neanderthals.

This is a serious question and I find it odd that an explanation is missing on a potentially controversial claim.

[Douglas Fletcher]

That comment is like so 800,000 years ago, man.

[RyanXXX]

Good point. But we did "coexist' with Neanderthals for several thousand years. I wouldn't be surprised, given human behavior throughout recorded history, if there was some warring and raping going on between the two groups

[Douglas Fletcher]

That's a feature, not a bug.

[Juice]

More to the point, how do they know it's a "neanderthal gene" in the first place.

[Raul]

I'm sorry, but saying Ozzy is the lead singer for Black Sabbath just lost you a lot of cred. Ozzy was fired from Black Sabbath way back in 1979.

[BakedPenguin]

And he got back together with them in the late 90's until 2006. Then Dio rejoined.

[Amakudari]

And then Dio died.

[Warty]

He's the only Black Sabbath singer that mattered.

[Jim]

But after 1979 it wasn't Black Sabbath anymore. Just a name.

[Zeb]

But who the fuck listens to non-Ozzy Black Sabbath?

[R C Dean]

Ozzy wrote signed a 3500-word piece in the Sunday Times about the experience.

Let's not kid ourselves.

[Mad Scientist]

I'm not too familiar with Ozzy, but the article is pretty funny and reads as though he actually wrote it. Stranger things have happened...

[Juice]

How do they know when a gene is a neanderthal gene?

[The Man]

Simple answer: They don't.

[the doll guy]

Ozzy is bad asss
This place has good price on love dolls
http://www.candy8teen.com

[ozzy man]

I love ozzy
This place has good price on love dolls
http://www.candy8teen.com

[ozzman]

http://www.realsoliddoll.com
Ozzy is the best

[Sex dools]

But i am too familiar with ozzy

[Sex doll]

So. I'd guess a 2D6 poor metabolizer, and and OPRM1 homozygous mutant (poor receptor capabilities). Both would make someone more likely to need more drug for effect.

[Armando Clough]

So. I'd guess a 2D6 poor metabolizer, and and OPRM1 homozygous mutant (poor receptor capabilities). Both would make someone more likely to need more drug for effect.