Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: thedoc on 07/08/2015 01:50:01

Title: Could Neanderthal genes be expressed in modern people?
Post by: thedoc on 07/08/2015 01:50:01

Jerry Mandering  asked the Naked Scientists:
     
Having become very familiar with the features of the Asperger's syndrome it occurred to me that there is similarities between how Neanderthals lived there lives in very small family groups and how people with Asperger's do not like to operate in large communal groups. We also known that Neanderthals did breed with homo sapiens.

The question is :  could it be that those with Asperger's are expressing their Neanderthal genes more than the neural typical group of Homo sapiens and its this trait in behaviour which originates from Neanderthals?

Best wishes.

Richard



   

What do you think?

Title: Re: Could Neanderthal genes be expressed in modern people?
Post by: evan_au on 07/08/2015 12:41:02

I think modern humans prefer to look down on Neanderthals as brutes - it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Fossils don't preserve details about the richness of social interactions and language.
For now, we are left with making inferences from the remains of tools, art and craft.