Neanderthal Gene Linked to Tendency to Wake Up Early, Researchers Say

KOMPAS.com – Researchers discovered a gene from human ancestors that increases the tendency to wake up early.

Genes that make people wake up early are useful in regions with short winter days.

Quoted from TheGuardian, this is in line with what was experienced by ancient Neanderthal humans.

The DNA of these ancient humans with thick eyebrows may have contributed to their tendency to become “larks.”

This personality is similar to a morning person, namely someone who is more comfortable getting up early and going to bed earlier than others.

Also read: Scientists Suspect Ancient Human Species May Still Exist on Flores Island

The result of ancient crossbreeding

Although some of the genes obtained by modern humans or Homo sapiens through ancient interbreeding with Neanderthals have been eliminated by evolution, a small part still remains.

It is likely that these genes helped Homo sapiens adapt to new environments when they moved from Africa to Eurasia.

A wave of Homo sapiens is thought to have migrated from Africa to Eurasia around 70,000 years ago.

Upon arrival in Eurasia, they encountered Neanderthals who had adapted to life in colder climates because they had inhabited the region hundreds of thousands of years earlier.

“By analyzing the remaining pieces of Neanderthal DNA in the modern human genome, we discovered a striking trend,” said University of California at San Francisco epidemiologist John Capra.

Also read: What Did Homo Sapiens Eat About 170,000 Years Ago?

He believes that many of them influence the genes that regulate the body clock or circadian rhythm in modern humans.

In many cases, this circadian rhythm increases the tendency to be a morning person.

Thanks to interbreeding between these ancient human groups, humans living today carry up to four percent of Neanderthal DNA, including genes related to skin pigmentation, hair, fat and immunity.

Capra and his colleagues analyzed DNA from modern humans and Neanderthals. They found that there were different genetic variants involved in the circadian rhythms of the two groups of ancient humans.

So according to them, because human ancestors interbred with Neanderthals, it is possible that some humans living today carry Neanderthal gene variants.

Also read: Ancient Man Died of Constipation, Eating Lots of Grasshoppers at the End of His Life

Not the main cause

But being a morning person doesn’t always require those Neanderthal genes.

Hundreds of different genes can influence when people sleep and wake, and there are many environmental and cultural influences as well.

Overall, Neanderthal genes have had little impact on today’s early risers.

Capra suspects that many modern humans carry Neanderthal genes because these genes helped their ancestors adapt to life at higher latitudes.

“We don’t think that being a morning person is beneficial. “Instead, we think it is a signal of having a faster running clock that is better able to adapt to seasonal variations in light levels.”

“At higher latitudes, it would be more beneficial to have clocks that are more flexible and better able to adapt to varying seasonal light levels,” he added.

Also read: The Steep Path of Homo Sapiens Odyssey

Influenced by season

Professor from University College London who was not involved in this research, Mark Maslin, said that humans now have genetic evidence from their ancestors that some people are morning people.

“When humans evolved in tropical Africa, the average day length was 12 hours. Now, hunters and gatherers spend only 30 percent of their waking time gathering food, so 12 hours is a very long time,” said Maslin.

“However, the further north you went, the days got shorter in winter when food was very scarce, so it makes sense for Neanderthals to start gathering food as soon as there was light,” he continued.

Also read: Archaeologists Find Oldest Ancient Human Fossils Buried in Moroccan Caves

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2023-12-17 02:00:00
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