A new international study has revealed a genetic link between modern humans and extinct Neanderthals. The study, published in Nature, shows that Homo sapiens may have inherited some of their genes from Neanderthals who went extinct 40,000 years ago. Researchers from institutions around the world studied the genomes of 1,004 modern humans from diverse backgrounds and identified more than 400 Neanderthal gene variants inherited by modern humans. These variants may have aided in the adaptation of humans to their environments, allowing them to survive and reproduce. The findings of this study provide new insight into the evolutionary history of humans and suggest that much of our genetic makeup may have been influenced by our extinct ancestors.

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source: Phys.org