Modern inhabitants of Earth have partially inherited some of the genes of Neanderthals, who became extinct about 40,000 years ago. What is the proportion of these genes among the inhabitants of the Arab region, as well as among the peoples of other regions of the world?
Neanderthals were the closest extinct human lineage to modern humans, and they inhabited parts of Europe and Asia more than 800,000 years ago, while the oldest known fossil remains indicate that they lived in Europe between 500,000 and 600,000 years ago.
In 1997, a team of researchers from the University of Munich successfully compared mitochondrial DNA, the genetic material inherited from the mother, between modern humans and Neanderthals. Later, in 2009, the renowned Swedish researcher Svante Pääbo, a professor at the Leipzig Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, announced his success in decoding the Neanderthal genome.
Scientists have discovered that Neanderthals were relatively tall and had strong bones and muscles, and the "MC1R" gene, which is responsible for the color of human skin and hair, indicates that they mostly had fair skin and red hair.
In Europe, Neanderthals inhabited parts of Germany, France, Italy, Greece, the Crimean Peninsula, and the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. Archaeological sites of cavemen have also been discovered in the Altai Mountains, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Through analysis of the Y chromosome, geneticists have determined that the human race split into two evolutionary branches approximately 588,000 years ago.
The two species met when the first Cro-Magnon, the oldest group of Homo sapiens to which we all belong, and who was dark-skinned, left Africa in search of better living environments.
During their migration to the Middle East and Europe, our ancestors encountered lighter-skinned Neanderthals. Precise information about the nature of the relationship between these two vastly different peoples is lacking. Some experts suggest that their interaction, which lasted for thousands of years, was marked by skirmishes and bloody battles, while others believe the opposite.
Researchers have discovered Neanderthal genes in people from different countries and continents. This heritage has been found in Italians, Spaniards, Americans of European descent, Britons, Scots, Finns, Chinese, Japanese, and even in the indigenous people of Australia and New Guinea.
Furthermore, some studies suggest that the proportion of Neanderthal genes is slightly higher among Asians than among Europeans. Other studies indicate that the proportion of Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of populations outside of Africa ranges between 1.5% and 2%, but this proportion is higher among East Asians, ranging between 2.3% and 2.6%, while it is lower among West Asians and Europeans, ranging between 1.8% and 2.4%.
It is worth noting that some Neanderthal genes are sometimes found in the DNA of people in sub-Saharan Africa. For example, scientists discovered them in some members of the Maasai tribe, but more detailed analysis revealed that these Africans inherited these genes from Europeans who arrived in the tribe's territory in the 17th and 19th centuries and had relationships with local women.
It was previously believed that sub-Saharan Africans completely lacked Neanderthal DNA, but scientists have discovered traces of it in their blood at an average of 0.5 percent.
As for the populations of North Africa and the Middle East in general, current scientific studies indicate that the proportion of Neanderthal DNA they possess falls within the same range as most populations outside of sub-Saharan Africa. While the precise proportion may vary among specific groups and individuals, the overall range is clear and well-defined.
Research indicates that Neanderthal DNA typically comprises between 1% and 4% of the genome of populations outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Studies of Eurasian populations suggest an average Neanderthal DNA content of approximately 2%, with some regional variations. For example, the percentage may be slightly lower in some Arab groups, but it still falls within the broader range of 1% to 4%.
This shows that the Neanderthal human legacy is still alive in the genes of the inhabitants of the Arab region, albeit in varying proportions that reflect a long history of migrations and human mixing over thousands of years.
