Modern humans and Neanderthals are so genetically similar that only 56 functional gene variants truly distinguish our entire lineage.
April 1, 2026
Original Paper
Partitioning the genomic journey to becoming Homo sapiens
bioRxiv · 2024.12.09.627480
AI-generated illustration
The Takeaway
This study suggests that 'modern' and 'archaic' humans are actually the same species. It reveals that almost all traits we consider unique to us were already present in our common ancestors, and the differences we see today are likely due to population size rather than biological superiority.
From the abstract
What makes us human? Homo sapiens diverged from its ancestors in fundamental ways, as reflected in recent genomic acquisitions, such as the PAR2-Y chromosome translocation. Here we show that despite morphological and cultural differences between modern and archaic humans, these human groups share these recent acquisitions. Our modern lineage shows recent functional variants in only 56 genes, of which 24 are linked to brain functions and skull morphology. Nevertheless, these acquisitions failed t