🜏 Autism and the Neanderthal Link — Ancient Genes, Modern Minds
🜏 Autism and the Neanderthal Link — Ancient Genes, Modern Minds
New study finds brain-related variants inherited from Neanderthals influence autism traits in modern humans
A groundbreaking study published in Molecular Psychiatry reveals a fascinating connection between ancient DNA and modern neurodiversity: certain genetic variants inherited from Neanderthals are linked to autism spectrum traits in today’s human populations.
Researchers from Clemson and Loyola Universities analyzed whole-genome data from individuals with autism, their unaffected siblings, and unrelated controls. They discovered that while autistic individuals didn’t carry more Neanderthal DNA overall, they were more likely to possess specific Neanderthal-derived gene variants — particularly in brain-related regions.
These variants are linked to:
Enhanced visual processing
Diminished social-network activity in the brain
Stronger pattern recognition and logic-driven focus
These traits mirror many qualities seen in autism today — especially heightened attention to detail, visual-spatial strength, and cognitive planning.
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🜏 What Does This Mean?
It challenges the outdated view of autism as a modern disorder — and reframes it as part of our shared evolutionary legacy.
In ancient Neanderthal communities, these traits may have provided distinct survival advantages:
Tracking prey with visual precision
Navigating complex terrain
Prioritizing logic and pattern over social consensus
What once helped small bands thrive may now echo through neurodivergent lineages across the world.
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🜏 Autism Isn’t a Flaw — It’s a Feature of Humanity’s Range
This study adds powerful evidence to the growing field of evolutionary neurodiversity, showing that:
Neurodivergent traits may be ancient in origin
Our cognitive diversity reflects adaptation, not dysfunction
The legacy of autism-linked traits is global, not rare
As science peels back the layers of genetic memory, we may come to see neurodiversity not as a deviation — but as a coded strength from another age.
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🔗 Read the full study in Molecular Psychiatry
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