Some teams showed that Neanderthal DNA made its way into specific genes of interest, particularly those involved in the immune system. Others looked across the whole genome and showed that Neanderthal sequences cluster around genes that affect skin, hair, fat metabolism, and the risk of type 2 diabetes, cirrhosis, Crohn’s disease, and—bizarrely—smoking addiction (more on that later).
In a study published today in Science, Corinne Simonti from Vanderbilt University and her colleagues decided to take a different tack: They simultaneously looked at Neanderthal DNA across the entire genome and looked for associations with more than 1,600 traits and diseases. It was an unprecedentedly broad and systematic approach, made possible through an unlikely source of information: electronic medical records.
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