Neanderthal DNA Handed Down Through Millenia Makes Modern Humans More Sensitive to Pain

Wrinkles in a small gene have widespread ramifications, lowering the pain threshold for a common type of pain.

By Matt Hrodey
Oct 19, 2023 3:00 PM
Neaderthal skull (right) compared to human skill (left)
Despite differences such as a heavier brow and more oblong shape, Neanderthal skulls (left) housed brains similar to our own in volume. (Credit: Pascal Goetgheluck/Science Source)

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Genetic variants inherited from Neanderthals make modern-day people more likely to suffer pain when poked with a stick, geneticists have found.

The Neanderthal variants involve three small changes to the SCN9A gene, which provides instructions for building highly important sodium channels in certain nerve cells. These protein structures permit sodium ions to flow into the cell, readying it to fire and communicate with other nerve cells.

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