We already know for sure that up to 4% of our genes are Neanderthal. Now a new study shows how much our behavior is shaped by these genes.
Recent scientific discoveries have shown that Neanderthal genes represent between 1 and 4% of the genome of modern humans whose ancestors migrated out of Africa.
Now we know that the Homo neanderthalensis they looked a lot like us and we even met them and crossed paths frequently. But, to what extent do these genes still actively influence human traits?
Today, a research team from several institutions, including the Cornell University Institute of Arts & Sciences (USA) , developed a new set of computational genetic tools to address the genetic effects of interbreeding between humans of non-African ancestry and Neanderthals s that took place about 50,000 years ago. (The study applies only to the descendants of those who emigrated from Africa before the Neanderthals became extinct, and in particular to those of European descent.)
The Neanderthal DNA that exists in humans characterizes our traits
In a study published in eLife researchers have reported that certain Neanderthal genes are responsible for certain traits in modern humans, many of which have a significant influence on the immune system. In general, however, the study shows that modern human genes win over future generations.
“Interestingly, we found that several of the identified genes involved in the immune, metabolic and developmental systems of modern humans could have influenced human evolution after the ancestors migrated out of Africa.” said in a press release the co-author of the study April (Xinzhu) Wei, Assistant Professor of Computational Biology at Cornell U. College of Arts and Sciences. “We have made our custom software available for free download and use by anyone interested in further research.”
Using a large data set from British Biobank composed of genetic and trait information from nearly 300,000 Britons of non-African descent, researchers analyzed over 235,000 genetic variants that likely originated in Neanderthals .
They found that 4,303 of these DNA differences play an important role in modern humans and they influence 47 different genetic traits, such as how quickly a person can burn calories or a person’s natural immune resistance to certain diseases.
Unlike previous studies that they could not completely rule out modern human variant genes, the new study benefited more accurate statistical methods focus on variants attributable to Neanderthal genes.
While the study used a dataset of almost exclusively white people living in the UK, new calculation methods developed by the team could offer a way forward for obtain evolutionary information from other large databases to dig deeper into the genetic influences of archaic humans on modern humans .
“For scientists who study human evolution and want to understand how interbreeding with archaic humans tens of thousands of years ago still shapes the biology of many humans today, this study can fill in some of those blank spaces said lead researcher Sriram Sankararaman, associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles .
“In more general terms, our findings could also provide new insights for evolutionary biologists who examine how the echoes of such events can have both beneficial and harmful consequences.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
