The phenotypic legacy of admixture between modern humans and Neandertals

The legacy of human-Neandertal interbreeding Non-African humans are estimated to have inherited on average 1.5 to 4% of their genomes from Neandertals. However, how this genetic legacy affects human traits is unknown. Simonti et al. combined genotyping data with electronic health records. Individual Neandertal alleles were correlated with clinically relevant phenotypes in individuals of European descent. These archaic genetic variants were associated with medical conditions affecting the skin, the blood, and the risk of depression. Science , this issue p. 737