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Our Hidden Neanderthal DNA May Increase Risk of Allergies, Depression (sciencemag.org)

sciencehabit writes: Depressed? Your inner Neanderthal may be to blame. Modern humans met and mated with these archaic people in Europe or Asia about 50,000 years ago, and researchers have long suspected that genes picked up in these trysts might be shaping health and well-being today. Now, a study in the current issue of Science details their impact. It uses a powerful new method for scanning the electronic health records of 28,000 Americans to show that some Neanderthal gene variants today can raise the risk of depression, skin lesions, blood clots, and other disorders.

1 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. I don't understand. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you are so superior, why do you feel the need to mock?

    When I see a developmentally-disabled person bagging groceries at the super market, I don't start insulting them. I don't go posting on forums about how horrible and inferior they are. At most I just reflect that they are filling an economic need that suits them.

    I am pretty sure you do the same. But why only mock black people, and not developmentally-disabled people? My best guess is its because you aren't assured of your superiority over blacks, thus making the possibility of their equality a threat to your fragile ego.

    Your behavior is indicative of ignorance and an inferiority complex. This doesn't exactly make you a shining example of the group to which you so proudly claim membership.