[Track9]

Just imagine if we hadn’t mated with Neanderthals how much smarter we would be.

[miliantnutcase]

I don’t think you could make that conclusion. The amount of Neanderthal DNA in modern humans is incredibly tiny. What happened were major climate events like ice ages and volcanos that hurt modern human development more than anything.

[SunkenCiv]

It's the other way around. :^)

[pierrem15]

There'a actually evidence from comparing the genes of modern Europeans that any admixture of Neanderthal genes in the genes that deal with speech and higher brain function were actively selected against, because these areas show almost zero admixture of Neanderthal genes.

What we got from Neanderthals were genes for the immune system (useful for humans who migrated out of Africa) and oddly enough some skin and hair color: one of the two genes for pale skin found in most people of European descent comes from Neanderthals as do the genes for red hair.

[GaryCrow]

Just imagine if we hadn’t mated with Neanderthals how much smarter we would be.

---

Modern people of African descent have no Neanderthal DNA, modern people of European descent have the most Neanderthal DNA.

The people of with the most neanderthal DNA gave us writing, democracy, the renaissance, the internal combustion engine, electricity, and put men on the moon. The people with no neanderthal DNA managed to figure out how to weave grass into a skirt so they can wear it to a gathering at the chief’s mud hut.