Gone but not forgotten: how ancient Neanderthal genes still affect modern people

Neanderthals died out a long time ago, but their genes may make us more susceptible to certain diseases.DNA inherited from Neanderthals affects which of our genes are turned on or off, according to a study published today in Cell. This phenomenon, called regulation of gene expression, means that traits such as height and susceptibility to diseases like schizophrenia or lupus may be affected in people with Neanderthal ancestry, say scientists from the University of Washington in Seattle.The study