You Might Need Zyrtec Because (Ancestral) Grandma Banged A Neanderthal
Your allergies may have mono-browed origins. So suggest two new studies in the American Journal of Human Genetics, reports Newser.
One of the studies reports three genes having to do with "innate immunity" in modern humans show more similarities to Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes than the rest.Innate immunity is the body's first response to pathogens and other foreign substances, NPR reports. The three genes from Neanderthals and Denisovans "are key components of innate immunity and provide an important first line of immune defense against bacteria, fungi, and parasites," according to the second study. But there's a "trade-off," as researcher Janet Kelso puts it. "I suppose that some of us can blame Neanderthals for our susceptibility to common allergies, like hay fever," she tells NPR. That's because these genes that helped ancient humans ward off disease in a new world can cause the body to overreact to minor foreign substances, such as pollen, according to the press release.
via @Instapundit
At last, we know why Neanderthals went extinct. The guy with the post nasal drip doesn't get the girl.
Wfjag at January 14, 2016 1:28 AM
Especially yicky that long before the invention of Kleenex.
Amy Alkon at January 14, 2016 6:59 AM
Very interesting. I'm far from the expert on genetics, but I guess that evolution-wise, the side effects (allergies) of having this type of immune system were less serious than the effects of having a weaker immune system, so this is what survived the selection process. It seems to me that compared to most animals, humans have a less effective immune system, at least when it comes to bacterial pathogens. A lot of animals seem to be be able to eat food that is too tainted for human consumption. Maybe that's a side effect of the fact that our ancestors learned how to prepare food in ways that made it less contaminated.
Cousin Dave at January 14, 2016 7:20 AM
Interesting. IIRC, white people have some Neanderthal genetics and Asians have both Neanderthal and Denisovan... So do black people have fewer issues with airborn allergens than whites and Asians?
Ahw at January 14, 2016 8:10 AM
"Interesting. IIRC, white people have some Neanderthal genetics and Asians have both Neanderthal and Denisovan... So do black people have fewer issues with airborn allergens than whites and Asians?"
Probably, less of a tendency. But genetics are complicated.
Very few individuals left who are entirely of sub-Saharan ancestry.
Unless you are talking about a recent immigrant from one of the sub-Saharan African tribes, most American blacks have at least half or more Asian and European ancestry.
And a lot of the maladies that plague darker skinned people in northern climates seem to be related to their vitamin d levels.
My mother who is of primarily German, Scots Irish stock has zero allergies. My father primarily Engish Irish, had boat loads of them.
I seem to have inherited my father's tendencies in that respect.
Isab at January 14, 2016 8:33 AM
Since we're here and they're not, the mixed offspring must have been in and come down to us in the Cro Magnon band. How'd that happen? Jean Auel didn't even start to plumb the possibilities.
Richard Aubrey at January 16, 2016 7:05 AM
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