A gene inherited from Neanderthals may be helping some modern humans carry more muscle, offering scientists a new clue to the muscular and robust build of our ancient relatives.
Neanderthals and modern humans diverged from a common ancestor about 500,000 years ago. While the ancestors of modern humans continued evolving in Africa, Neanderthals followed a separate evolutionary path across Europe and Asia before disappearing roughly 40,000 years ago.
