Ancient hook-ups with Neanderthals left lasting effects on our health

Comparison of Modern Human and Neanderthal skulls from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. (credit: hairymuseummatt)

WASHINGTON-Around 50,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans shacked up with some Neanderthals-and the genetic consequences are still doing a walk of shame through our generations.

The questionable interbreeding left traces of Neanderthal DNA that are linked to mood disorders, mostly depression, as well as tobacco-use disorders, skin conditions, and hypercoagulation (excessive blood clotting), according to a new study published Thursday in Science. The findings lend support to the theory that our past hominin hook-up has had a lasting influence on modern humans' health. The data also offers hints at genetic adaptations of our ancient ancestors and, potentially, new insights into the diseases they help cause in modern humans, the authors suggest.

Having these traces of Neanderthal DNA doesn't "doom us" to having these diseases, cautioned John Capra, bioinformaticist at Vanderbilt University and coauthor of the study. The genetic traces linked to disease in modern humans doesn't mean that Neanderthals were stricken with those diseases either, he added. In fact, some of them could have been advantageous.

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