A new research paper suggests that genes inherited from our extinct Neanderthal ancestors may contribute to the difficulty some people have waking up in the morning, as a result of interbreeding between ancient humans like Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans, indicating that being a morning person may be linked to genetics.
Main Facts
The review paper published in “Genome and Evolution” aims to search for evidence of genetic differences between Neanderthals and modern humans – where some Neanderthal DNA remains present in modern human DNA – concerning the body’s daily rhythm or biological clock that regulates wake and sleep states based on light.
Genetic Influences on the Body’s Daily Rhythm
Studies have shown that early risers are associated with a shorter biological clock, which was beneficial for ancient humans living at high latitudes, as they could quickly synchronize sleep and wake hours with external timing signals like light during long summer days.
Neanderthal Genetic Influences
After identifying a set of 246 genes related to the body clock, researchers discovered hundreds of specific genetic variations either for modern humans or Neanderthals that could influence the body’s daily rhythm, then tested whether the genetic variations were linked to wake preferences using a cohort of hundreds of thousands of people from the UK Biobank.
Neanderthal Impact on the Biological Clock
Researchers found that genetic variations passed from Neanderthals to modern humans are associated with the body’s preference for waking and sleeping, continually increasing morningness, meaning a person’s tendency to wake up early, which suggests that ancient humans adapted to life at high latitudes in Europe.
Evolution of Modern Humans
Modern humans separated from other ancient humans, including Neanderthals and Denisovans, about 500,000 to 700,000 years ago. Therefore, the ancestors of modern humans continued to evolve under environmental conditions different from other ancient humans. Neanderthals and Denisovans lived in Europe for over 400,000 years before modern humans migrated there from Africa. When modern humans migrated to Europe, it became possible for them to interbreed with Neanderthals and other ancient humans and acquire the genetic variations that help them better adapt to new environments.
However, previous research suggests that many genetic variations from ancient humans were not “beneficial” to modern humans and were “selected against by natural selection.”
Future Reading
The study suggests that genes inherited from Neanderthals may affect the body clock in modern humans and make some people morning types. This research may help in better understanding the genetic factors affecting sleep-wake behavior in humans and could open doors for future research in targeted treatments to improve sleep and wake quality in individuals.
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