The Neanderthals were extinguished 45,000 years ago, but not at all. Some of them still remains in us, according to a study published a few months ago by the scientific journal Nature. According to this study, genes from Neanderthals, which represent between 1.5 and 2.1% of the current man's DNA, served the modern man to adapt to non -African climates.
Studying the data from the genome of more than a thousand European people and the East Asia, it was observed that they had a greater concentration than usual of Neanderthal genes of the keratin family. This protein constitutes the outer layer of the epidermis, and is responsible for the resistance of hair and skin, so it is believed that the greatest proportion of genes of the Neanderthal man could encourage the birth of body hair in humans to be protected from low temperatures.
The data offered by this study are highly interesting. First, they can serve us as a cure of humility every time we feel the temptation to boast for some innate success or quality, or when we feel over other people. How are we going to be superior, if in the background we are still poor Neanderthals, like everyone else.
We can also reflect on how useful the Neanderthal genes we have. It may be positive sometimes letting the animal we carry inside, the animal we are actually. It is not known why strange reason, primary instincts and sensory capacities seem to be evil seen today. And that is a serious mistake, because they are the basis of who we are like people. We can and must grow in culture, in science, in art, in wisdom. But if we forget the value of laughter and crying, pleasure and pain, if we forget to look and touch and lick, we are destined to become soulless monigotes. We are going to respect the Neanderthal we carry inside: the world will thank us.
