Neanderthal Genes Blamed for Tendency to Develop Type 2 Diabetes

Researchers studying South Americans and native Americans have discovered a link between Neanderthal genes, one gene in particular, and a genetic tendency to develop Type 2 diabetes.

I always wanted to be at least part native American, but not so much now.

It turns out that my father's high flat cheekbones and black hair, suggestive of native American heritage, come from inner Mongolia, not Siberia, which is where the most important Neanderthal gene, SLC16A11, for Type 2 diabetes was found in the Denisova Cave in Siberia. Other Neanderthal genes contribute toward the tendency to develop Type 2 diabetes, but none so much as the gene sequence SLC16A11.

Dad's haplogroup, R1B1, came to Europe 50,000 years ago from Inner Mongolia near Beijing, China to Europe and became Cro-Magnon man, the Cro-Magnon man of French caves with the famous drawings of animals on the cave walls. I told him that after I paid to have his DNA done through the National Geographic's Genographic Project.

Africans and Europeans are less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, although Neanderthal genes are pervasive in Europeans as well, just not as pervasive, apparently. You had to leave Africa in the first place to meet the Neanderthals, because as far as we know, they didn't venture into Africa, and many Africans never left through the Saharan Gateway, which closed behind the emigrants who went to the Middle East before dispersing, those who did disperse. The Sahara gate closed behind them as the Sahara Desert became too forbidding a place to go back to.

Obviously, more research will have to be done. For centuries it was thought that modern man and Neanderthals never mated. Obviously, we know now that that wasn't true.

Genetics has a lot to do with what we get sick with, but life style choices can also seriously aggravate whatever genetic predispositions we are born with. If you have a genetic predisposition toward Type 2 diabetes, gaining weight and not exercising is certainly not going to help. Neither is a poor diet full of sugar and processed foods.

A friend of ours is a gym rat fitness freak, eats right, and is grateful for every day he lives beyond 57.5 years. Neither of his parents got past that time in their lives.