Researchers find neanderthal blood did not evolve and may have contributed to their demise
Researchers out of France have identified a unique antigen in red blood cells that may have contributed to the downfall of Neanderthals, according to an article in Live Science. These findings will be of interest to clinical laboratorians in hospitals who operate blood banks and blood bankers who do daily testing for blood groups and specific antigens.
Stéphane Mazières, PhD, a population geneticist at Aix-Marseille University, and his research team of paleoanthropologists and geneticists discovered that the lack of evolution in Neanderthals blood did not allow them to evolve along the same path as Homo Sapiens, both in terms of immunity and reproductive capability, Live Science noted.
“We showed that all Neanderthal shared the same blood group profile,” Mazières told Discover magazine. “Such low diversity is the signal of small populations.” He added, “the study shows how different blood types can help fight against infectious disease,” and that, “it emphasizes the importance of monitoring blood during both transfusions and pregnancies. The presence of some rare subtypes that originated with the Neanderthals but outlived them can lead to complications,” Discover reported.
Clinical laboratories and pathologists will appreciate these new findings, as this unique look into Neanderthal physiology illustrates how the importance of proper blood typing has endured throughout time.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports titled, “Rapid Change in Red Cell Blood Group Systems after the Main Out of Africa of Homo Sapiens.”
“For any case of inbreeding of a Neanderthal female with a Homo sapiens or Denisova male, there is a high risk of hemolytic disease of the newborn. The condition can lead to jaundice, severe anemia, brain damage and death. This could have contributed to the demise of the Neanderthal population,” Stéphane Mazières, PhD (above), a population geneticist at Aix-Marseille University who led the study into why Neanderthals did not survive, told Live Science. Clinical laboratories that run blood banks and perform blood type testing will find the study results interesting. (Photo copyright: X, formerly Twitter.)
‘Incompatible Blood Type
Mazières’ team studied ancient genomes to further understand the evolution from Neanderthals and Denisovans to Homo Sapiens. Genome sequencing was used to look at blood groups from “dozens of people who lived between 120,000 and 20,000 years ago.” This uncovered “a rare blood group that could have been fatal to their newborns,” Live Science reported.
The rare blood type discovered was not compatible with either Denisovans or early Homo Sapiens. Additionally, the more diverse blood found in Homo Sapiens may have attributed to a more robust immunity, Discover reported.
“Nowadays, certain blood groups confer an advantage against pathogens such as cholera, malaria, one of the gastroenteritis viruses and, as we’ve seen recently, COVID. We can therefore imagine that the blood groups found in the first Sapiens may have equipped them with a new arsenal to face the new environments encountered as they spread across the world,” Mazières told Discover.
“The contribution of this study is twofold. It enlightens the expansion patterns of Homo Sapiens and recalls the anthropological effectiveness of genetic polymorphisms currently being surveyed for transfusion safety and pregnancy monitoring,” the researchers wrote in Scientific Reports.
Knowing a patient’s blood type is key to ensure immune system acceptance of the blood, leading to successful blood transfusions and preventing fatalities. Focus is given to Rh (Resus) factor’s positive and negative typing and on the antigens responsible for segregating A, B, and O blood types. In the case of Neanderthals, a look at red blood cells was key, Live Science noted.
Modern-day Rh incompatibility, which can occur when an Rh-negative woman is pregnant with an Rh positive fetus, can be discovered during pregnancy and treated with prenatal administration of lab-made immunoglobulin to prevent hemolytic disease of the newborn, Live Science reported. It’s a whole system of healthcare that was certainly not available in Neanderthal times.
“Neanderthals have an Rh blood group that is very rare in modern humans. This Rh variant—a type of RhD, another red blood cell antigen—is not compatible with the variants the team found in the Denisovans or the early Homo Sapiens in their study,” Mazières told Live Science.
Looking Ahead
While this research may not change the way blood is handled today, the new findings serve as a reminder of just how important and varied antigens in human blood type can be and how significant the variances impact individuals. It also provides a window into how subtle differences shape the way civilization grows.
The complexity of red blood cells remains an area worthy of continued research, especially since many of these surface and internal antigens are passed down through generations, Live Science noted.
Also, study results may further the decades-long attempt to create artificial blood that has both an extensive shelf life and is accepted by the immune systems of many different patients. However, that will be a daunting challenge. Over the decades, blood bankers and clinical laboratory scientists have watched many attempts to develop artificial blood come close but fail to demonstrate safety while delivering benefits to patients.
—Kristin Althea O’Connor
Related Information:
Neanderthals’ Blood Type May Help Explain Their Demise, New Study Finds
Rapid Change in Red Cell Blood Group Systems After the Main Out of Africa of Homo sapiens
Lack of Blood Type Diversity for Neanderthals May Have Led to Their Demise