A Scientific Breakthrough Has Unveiled the Ancient Source of Our Pain
Yahoo••health
Key Points:
- Researchers have linked low pain thresholds in modern humans to genetic variants inherited from Neanderthals through ancient interbreeding, specifically involving three variations in the SCN9A gene.
- The SCN9A gene encodes sodium channels that help nerve cells communicate pain signals, with carriers of all three Neanderthal variants showing increased sensitivity to pricking pain after exposure to mustard oil.
- These Neanderthal gene variants are more prevalent in populations with higher Native American ancestry and are largely absent in Europeans, likely due to population bottlenecks during the initial settlement of the Americas.
- The study suggests Neanderthals may have been more sensitive to certain types of pain, but further research is needed to understand the evolutionary advantages,
