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Saturday, 10 September 2022
Did this gene give modern human brains their edge?
Researchers have pinpointed a fateful genetic mutation that might have contributed to a cognitive advantage for modern humans over Neanderthals. Tests in the laboratory suggest that a single change in the gene TKTL1 ultimately causes the brain to develop more neurons. The Neanderthal version of TKTL1 still exists in some modern humans, although it’s very rare and it’s unknown whether it causes any disease or cognitive differences.
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Neanderthals had the larger brains, and all 'out of Africa' humans have Neanderthal ancestry.
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