Despite being almost genetically identical to modern humans, Neanderthals had much chunkier faces, with big noses , protruding brows, and large, powerful jaws. Amazingly, these striking differences in physical appearance result from just a few tiny alterations in the so-called “dark” region of our genome. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Sometimes referred to as “junk DNA”, the dark genome refers to the parts of our genetic code that don’t contain any actual genes, and instead consist of instructions for controlling, regulating, and activating genes. It’s thought that around 98 percent of our DNA falls into this category.

According to new research, one particular region of the dark genome seems to be responsible for t

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