Icelanders didn’t get their freckles and occasional red hair from Neanderthal ancestors. By Ann GibbonsIf you think you got your freckles, red hair, or even narcolepsy from a Neanderthal in your family tree, think again.
People around the world do carry traces of Neanderthals in their genomes. But a study of tens of thousands of Icelanders finds their Neanderthal legacy had little or no impact on most of their physical traits or disease risk.Paleogeneticists realized about 10 years ago that most Europeans and Asians inherited 1% to 2% of their genomes from Neanderthals.
And Melanesians and Australian Aboriginals get another 3% to 6% of their DNA from Denisovans, Neanderthal cousins who ranged across Asia 50,000 to 200,000 years ago or so.A