Summary:
- This article discusses a new study that suggests Neanderthals were more susceptible to lead poisoning compared to modern humans, which may have given humans an advantage over their evolutionary cousins.
- The researchers found that Neanderthals had a genetic variant that made them more vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead, which was present in the environment during the Pleistocene era when both species co-existed.
- This genetic difference may have allowed modern humans to better cope with lead exposure, potentially contributing to their survival and eventual dominance over Neanderthals.