Lack of Blood Type Diversity for Neanderthals May Have Led to Their Demise

Neanderthal blood types may have made them ill-equipped to deal with infectious diseases.

By Paul Smaglik
Jan 24, 2025 9:30 PMJan 24, 2025 9:25 PM
Blood type cells
This illustration does not describe early man blood types, but represents red blood cells in general. (Credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock)

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We can now track the spread of humanity by following a trail of blood…types.

A group of researchers did just that, by analyzing genetic information from three groups of Early Man — most recently Neanderthal and Homo sapiens (earlier work also included Denisovans, an extinct subspecies that roamed Asia until about 30,000 years ago).

Although their analysis, which appears in Scientific Reports, stretches back about 120,000 years ago, it also offers some implications for current medicine and health. Different blood types confer different immune responses.

Blood Type and Health

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