The Highbrow Neanderthal
Last fall, during the pandemic, a new research project led by Svante Pääbo and his colleague Hugo Zeberg identified two Neanderthal “haplotypes,” or sets of DNA variations, that affect our bodies’ response to Covid-19. One, found on the 3rd of our 46 chromosomes, doubles the likelihood of needing intensive care if infected with the coronavirus. It’s thought to encode a protein that helps the Sars-CoV-2 virus hijack cells, and to be involved in the production of cytokine signaling proteins that regulate the immune system. Another Neanderthal haplotype, found on the 12th chromosome, appears to lower the chance of serious illness by a fifth. This is just one of many examples of how sexual choices made tens or hundreds of thousands of years ago in faraway caves can dramatically affect our lives today.
Gee, thanks, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa! Next time keep it in your loin cloth, buddy.