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🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

Neanderthal Genes May Explain Why Some People Build Muscle Easily

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Researchers found that genetic variations inherited from Neanderthals may contribute to a naturally muscular physique in modern humans.
  • These variations affect growth hormone receptors, making cells more sensitive and promoting muscle growth, particularly during puberty.
  • The Neanderthal gene variant is more common in East Asian and South Asian populations than in European or Native American groups.

Some individuals possess a naturally muscular build, seemingly without extensive training. New research indicates that a genetic legacy from Neanderthals, an extinct human species, might be the reason.

A study led by an international team from Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has identified a gene variant originating from Neanderthals. This variant is associated with growth hormone receptors and appears to increase muscle mass in modern humans. Neanderthals, who lived in Europe and Asia before going extinct around 40,000 years ago, were known for their robust physiques, characterized by thick bones, broad chests, and significant muscle development.

This variant appears to well explain the robust physique of Neanderthals.

— Hugo ZebergLead researcher from the Karolinska Institute, commenting on the findings.

The research, published in Current Biology, focused on a specific gene mutation that alters two amino acids in the growth hormone receptor. This alteration makes muscle and bone cells more responsive to growth hormones, leading to accelerated cell proliferation. Laboratory experiments showed that cells with this Neanderthal variant multiplied about 40% faster than those without it. Researchers believe this effect becomes more pronounced during puberty, a period of significant growth hormone secretion.

Further analysis revealed that this gene variant is not evenly distributed among modern human populations. While Neanderthals carried it in about 94% of cases, less than 10% of modern humans possess it. However, its prevalence varies geographically, being most common in East Asian (15%) and South Asian (20%) populations, and much rarer in Europeans (0.5%) and Native Americans (2%). Individuals carrying the variant tend to have slightly shorter lower jaws and shorter tooth roots, traits also observed in Neanderthal fossils. The study suggests that this gene likely entered the modern human genome through interbreeding with Neanderthals approximately 47,000 years ago.

This variant appears to well explain the robust physique of Neanderthals.

— Hugo ZebergLead researcher from the Karolinska Institute, commenting on the findings.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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