Thursday, September 21, 2006
Do humans have some Neanderthal genes?
There are suggestions now that maybe, after all, we do have some Neanderthal genes, now. Not proof. PMID: 16895447 but there may be better sources.
My interest relates to the established link between artificial light and breast cancer, etc, etc. I'm curious to know how long our genes have had to adapt to more extreme seasons and the varying lengths of daylight that come with them. I wonder if some of the (genetic) differences between ethnic groups re breast cancer and other chronic disease including diabetes might relate to how close to the equator ones' ancestors were.
Maybe Northern Europeans have some built in protection from the chronic illnesses that photoperiodeffect.com discusses, because we at least had some time to adapt to more extreme light variation with the seasons - and since Neanderthals went North first, just maybe we have kept some genes that help one adapt to variable photoperiods. This would account for some genetic variation affecting vulnerability to these illnesses, perhaps.
My interest relates to the established link between artificial light and breast cancer, etc, etc. I'm curious to know how long our genes have had to adapt to more extreme seasons and the varying lengths of daylight that come with them. I wonder if some of the (genetic) differences between ethnic groups re breast cancer and other chronic disease including diabetes might relate to how close to the equator ones' ancestors were.
Maybe Northern Europeans have some built in protection from the chronic illnesses that photoperiodeffect.com discusses, because we at least had some time to adapt to more extreme light variation with the seasons - and since Neanderthals went North first, just maybe we have kept some genes that help one adapt to variable photoperiods. This would account for some genetic variation affecting vulnerability to these illnesses, perhaps.
