Neanderthals disappeared approximately 42,000 years ago, yet intriguing aspects of their biology persist in some modern humans, according to a groundbreaking study conducted by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Aspects of Neanderthal anatomy live on in people today. Image credit: Holger Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.
“Neanderthals, the most recognized among archaic human species,” stated Dr. Philipp Kanis, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and his colleagues.
“They first appeared in the fossil record around 300,000 to 400,000 years ago, primarily in western Asia and Europe, before going extinct approximately 42,000 years ago.”
“Neanderthals possessed more robust physiques and larger brains compared to modern humans.”
“Their notable features included prominent brow ridges, an occipital bun, barrel-shaped thoraxes, enhanced muscle mass, and short-rooted teeth (taurodontism).”
“While none of these traits are exclusive to Neanderthals, their unique combination led early researchers to propose that they represented a separate evolutionary lineage.”
“Genomic sequencing confirmed that Neanderthals evolved largely in isolation from modern humans for approximately half a million years.”
“However, they were not entirely isolated; before their extinction, interbreeding occurred between Neanderthals and modern humans. Consequently, individuals of non-African descent today carry about 2% Neanderthal DNA.”
“Although the primary admixture event between Neanderthals and modern humans likely occurred around 47,000 years ago, recent findings indicate some earlier admixture prior to the expansion of modern humans out of Africa.”
To explore the physical robustness of Neanderthals, researchers studied the growth hormone receptor, a critical protein that regulates the body’s response to growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland.
By comparing modern human DNA to high-quality Neanderthal genomes, they identified a distinctive version of the receptor in Neanderthals, characterized by two unique amino acid changes absent in today’s African populations.
Upon inserting the Neanderthal variant of the receptor into lab-grown cells and exposing them to growth hormone, the cells demonstrated accelerated multiplication and enhanced signaling compared to those with the modern human variant.
Since Neanderthals interbred with ancestral populations of modern non-Africans, this gene variant has been inherited and persists today, especially in South and East Asia, where it is present in about 20% of certain populations.
This variant is rare or non-existent in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting the notion that populations in that region have minimal Neanderthal ancestry.
Analyzing genetic and health data from over a million individuals across various biobanks, researchers discovered that adults with the Neanderthal variant are typically taller and heavier than non-carriers, with much of the extra weight attributed to increased muscle mass rather than fat.
Carriers also displayed a shorter mandibular ramus, a higher incidence of overbite, and slightly shorter tooth roots, all characteristics akin to Neanderthal skeletons.
These differences were not observable in children, suggesting they manifest around puberty when growth hormone levels significantly increase.
“What stood out to me was how two distinct lines of evidence corroborated the same narrative,” noted Dr. Kanis.
“Cells developed in laboratory conditions exhibited a stronger response, while data from millions of individuals indicated similar effects within the human body.”
“It’s uncommon to see laboratory and population-level evidence align so convincingly.”
“It’s intriguing that a single genetic alteration inherited from Neanderthals continues to affect human physiology today,” added Dr. Hugo Zeberg, also affiliated with the Max Planck Institute.
“However, this is merely one of many genetic influences impacting growth and body structure.”
“It cannot solely account for the Neanderthal body type, nor does it dictate an individual’s overall appearance.”
The team’s research paper was published in the journal Current Biology.
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Philipp Kanis et al. Increased signaling of the Neanderthal growth hormone receptor. Current Biology, published online August 5, 2026; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.07.025
Source: www.sci.news
