The Neanderthals are the extinct cousins that we all share and the closest relatives of modern humans. As our Homo sapiens ancestors parted from Africa and walked across the Eurasian landmass, they encountered members of this other ancestral human lineage, who also began in Africa but had migrated to Eurasia long before our ancestors arrived. Only separated by tens of thousands of generations, humans and Neanderthals were still able to interbreed, and using anthropological and genetic evidence, scientists suggests that they did. So exactly how much of our genetic makeup is actually inherited from these creatures with thick skulls and bulky physiques?
Over the years, several studies have pointed to an average of 2% Neanderthal DNA in people of European and Asian descent, whereas sub-Saharan Africans have little to no Neanderthal DNA because their ancestors remained in the African continent and did not migrate to Eurasia. According to a study published in Nature last year, the interbreeding of humans and Neanderthals likely resulted in the exchange of beneficial Neanderthal genetic mutations that enabled humans to adapt to the colder climate. David Reich and his colleagues, the researchers behind this study, first analyzed the …show more content…
Reich and his research team uncovered Neanderthal genetic variants that affect keratin filaments, which would have protected our human ancestors from the cold climate of its new surroundings. “It’s tempting to think that Neanderthals were already adapted to the non-African environment and provided this genetic benefit to humans,” Reich says. If so, then we owe it to Neanderthals a bit of gratitude for the fact that they gave modern humans a way to survive in harsher weather
Over the years, several studies have pointed to an average of 2% Neanderthal DNA in people of European and Asian descent, whereas sub-Saharan Africans have little to no Neanderthal DNA because their ancestors remained in the African continent and did not migrate to Eurasia. According to a study published in Nature last year, the interbreeding of humans and Neanderthals likely resulted in the exchange of beneficial Neanderthal genetic mutations that enabled humans to adapt to the colder climate. David Reich and his colleagues, the researchers behind this study, first analyzed the …show more content…
Reich and his research team uncovered Neanderthal genetic variants that affect keratin filaments, which would have protected our human ancestors from the cold climate of its new surroundings. “It’s tempting to think that Neanderthals were already adapted to the non-African environment and provided this genetic benefit to humans,” Reich says. If so, then we owe it to Neanderthals a bit of gratitude for the fact that they gave modern humans a way to survive in harsher weather