An interesting discovery was made recently by American biologists from the US National Institutes of Health - modern humans have inherited genes from Neanderthals that contribute to depression, nicotine addiction, obesity and other disorders.
Neanderthal inheritance was acquired by modern man 47–65 thousand years ago. In recent years, scientists have been able to read the genome using the bones of their ancestors and identify thousands of specific genetic variants (polymorphisms) left over from Neanderthals in today's people. In total, the genotypes of 28 416 people, their diseases and state of the body, including bad habits, were studied. As a result, it turns out that Neanderthal genes are most likely to contribute to our depression and other disorders associated with mood and emotions. A little less, but also make themselves felt when contemporaries show obesity, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, pathological changes in the skin under the influence of solar radiation, increased blood clotting and even dependence on smoking. These genes could have been useful to our ancestors in ancient times, but then became harmful due to changes in living conditions. Nevertheless, scientists warn that their impact on modern Europeans is very, very weak.
Commentary by Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexander MARKOV:
- Useful genes could have passed from Neanderthals. And this is confirmed by studies that were conducted in January 2016. Neanderthal alleles (different forms of the same gene) have been found to play a role in the immune defense against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and other parasites. True, it is possible that they can harm a modern city dweller in some way, since in our time the variety of parasites is less than that of the ancients. Here we can draw an analogy with alleles that increased the efficiency of nutrient absorption. Our ancestors really needed them, and in a modern civilized person they become "obesity genes."
Daria Andrianova