6 Traits We Can Thank Neanderthals For

New research shows that many humans have Neanderthal DNA… People with European or Asian backgrounds have 1% to 2% and as much as 4% if they are from East Asia- Thanks to human-Neanderthal interbreeding…

A genetic engineer shares the six physical traits and behaviours linked to Neanderthal DNA-40,000 years after they went extinct…

SMOKING

If you are a smoker or were blame the Neanderthal….A 2016 study linked one length of Neanderthal DNA to a high risk of nicotine addiction, which is surprising because tobacco didn’t become popular in Europe until the late 16th century…

HAVING STRAIGHT, THICK HAIR

“Neanderthal DNA has been linked to variations in hair characteristics. Some people with Neanderthal ancestry may have slightly thicker or straighter hair,” Unluisler told the Daily Mail. “Studies have also shown a higher frequency of a genetic variant associated with red hair was present in Neanderthals.”

BEING AN EARLY BIRD

A study published just last month found that Neanderthals in Eurasia experienced more seasonal variation than their relatives in Africa, which influenced their internal biological clock and increased their probability of waking earlier in the morning.

HAVING A TALL NOSE

A 2023 study from University College London found a gene inherited from Neanderthals leads to a taller nose from top to bottom.

Developing a severe case of COVID-19

Researchers have found that mutations in a segment on chromosome 3, the third largest of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans, may predispose people to developing a more severe case of COVID-19. The genomic segment is inherited from Neanderthals.

STRUGGLING TO TAN

Scientists with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany 2017 identified Neanderthal alleles — variant forms of genes — that contribute to hair and skin tones.