Neanderthals were more susceptible to lead poisoning than humans — which helped us gain an advantage over our cousins, scientists say

Neanderthals were more susceptible to lead poisoning than humans — which helped us gain an advantage over our cousins, scientists say

Humans and our ancestors have been exposed to lead for 2 million years, but the toxic metal may have actually helped our species to develop language — giving us a key advantage over our Neanderthal cousins, scientists claim.

Lead exposure may have influenced brain and language development in early humans and Neanderthals

A new study published in Science Advances suggests that humans and their ancestors were exposed to lead nearly two million years ago — and that this toxic element may have shaped the evolution of our brains and language. An international team led by researchers from the University of California San Diego and Southern Cross University […]