CNN —A new analysis of ancient genomes is deepening scientists’ understanding of the Neanderthal DNA carried by human populations in Europe and Asia — genetic traces that may have medical relevance today. The researchers found that, over time, the distribution of Neanderthal DNA didn’t always look as it does now. This resulted in a lower proportion of Neanderthal DNA observed in European genomes during this period. “The thing was that they had less Neanderthal ancestry so they diluted the (Neanderthal ancestry) in European populations,” Currat said. For example, Neanderthal DNA may play a small role in swaying the course of Covid-19 infection, according to a September 2020 study.

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Persons: we’ve, ”, Mathias Currat, Currat, Dr, David Reich, ” Currat, Tony Capra, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, University of Geneva, Harvard Medical School, Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California Locations: Europe, Asia, Altai, Central Asia, Eurasia, East Asia, Boston, Anatolia, what’s, Turkey, Western, Northern Europe, Bakar, San Francisco