# The ancient roots of ASD: Neanderthalensis interbreeding?



## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

ASD: Autism spectrum disorder.

http://rdos.net/eng/



> General findings
> 
> Aspie Quiz have researched many probable Neanderthal traits.
> 
> As can be seen, the Hn factor becomes almost two millions years old and the g factor becomes 37,000 years old, which is the time of the hybridization. The most likely interpretation is that Hn factor is Eurasian diversity, Hs factor is the evolution of modern humans, and g factor is the introduction of Euroasian diversity through interbreeding with Neanderthals 30,000 - 50,000 years ago. In Aspie Quiz, Hn factor is used to calculate the Aspie-score, Hs factor is used to calculate neurotypical score, and g factor is positively correlated with Aspie ability group and negatively correlated with Aspie disability group. It therefore is likely that g factor is related to g-factor in intelligence tests.


A series of compelling genetic studies and it's correlation with our own quiz scores. One might notice while taking the quiz that there are numerous questions in there that aren't standard criteria for diagnosis, but they are queries specifically relative to H. Neanderthalensis behavior; there is a 1-4% presence of Neanderthalensis genes in the general population after all. This is especially intriguing when you take into account that the occurrence of ASD amongst people of African ancestry is 1/6 that of occurrence amongst people of Indo-European ancestry.

There are also some exciting comparisons between ASD behavior and symptoms, and adaptations to a cold climate.



> According to a research study, body lice evolved 70,000 years ago. 92 Woven cloth seems to date back at least 27,000 years in Europe. 93 This seems to indicate that clothes and artificial warming is a recent happening in our species. There is no compelling evidence for artificial warming with fires or tailormade clothes in Neanderthals. Therefore, Neanderthals most likely had fur. Without fur they would not be able to survive in Finland in between ice-ages, nor in Europe during the ice-ages. There is a genetic difference called congenital hypertrichosis, which essentially is fur in modern humans. 94 The reports of this "disorder" seems to indicate an origin from guanchos from the canary-islands. It's interesting that this hair is unpigmented. *People with congenital hypertrichosis also show long, prominent back of the nose and a round nose tip and lag in the development of the first and second dentition. It's common with more body-hair in Europeans, and especially in people with autism.* 95 *Peeling skin flakes from self or others is also common in autistics. 96This seems to be a grooming behavior commonly seen in other primates which indicates an evolutionary past with a fur-coat.*


Utterly fascinating. Can our genetic roots in an Archaic Homo Sapien past, where there was a variety of subspecies, help to explain not only human variability in general today but cognitive differences such as ASD? I can already imagine that in some ways I might have been more comfortable around Neanderthalensis people, because of their socially insular nature, and similar sensory sensitivities.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I used to be very fascinated with this as well. Partly because I am possibly somewhere on the spectrum, partly because for a time, my 'special topic' was ancient humans. This seems to be confirmation of my earlier fantasies, lol.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

I don't think we know nearly as much about Neanderthal behavior as the author of that website suggests. We don't even know if they spoke. I've never heard the idea that they didn't use fire - googling suggests that's an open question as well.

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think the evidence is there.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

isorhythm said:


> I don't think we know nearly as much about Neanderthal behavior as the author of that website suggests. We don't even know if they spoke. I've never heard the idea that they didn't use fire - googling suggests that's an open question as well.
> 
> It's an interesting idea, but I don't think the evidence is there.


Actually, with a great deal of his behavioral statements he isn't suggesting he knows anything. What he is suggesting is very reasonable explanations, explanations that simply warrant future study. And these explanations haven't come from nowhere, if you look at his sources, and do some of your own reading in anthropology, you can see that such ideas are rooted in comparisons between societies living in similar conditions today.

Btw, your statement that we don't know if they spoke isn't exactly in line with current research or the more complete specimens we've found for that matter. If they couldn't speak then why did they have a hyoid bone?









I certainly think that a number of instances of modern human variation and especially neurological differences have a place in the discussion of Archaic groups, because the connections are mounting.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Maybe Neanderthals were also smarter than we think. People with ASD often have increased abilities to do other things while being socially inhibited. Autistic Savants?


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Maybe Neanderthals were also smarter than we think. People with ASD often have increased abilities to do other things while being socially inhibited. Autistic Savants?


While I resemble that remark, about a quarter of people on the ASD spectrum are intellectually disabled, and while most savants are on the spectrum as well the vast majority are more in the average intelligence range. What you are probably noticing is the repetitive and obsessive behavior. Most people who don't have an atypical left hemisphere are similarly capable of that type of proficient if they are equally dedicated or obsessive.

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/30/32/10612.full

The main difference is in forms of intelligence, as opposed to general raw capabilities.

Being a savant, on the other hand, normally comes with very unpleasant side effects and crushing obstacles in terms of functioning in society. This is because of the omnipresence of comorbids amongst autistic savants (a comorbid is a coinciding disorder). In my case the frontal lobe actually heats up like an oven, from being excessively overactive. And that would be just one comorbid I personally have to deal with. So, the superior intelligence idea is a misnomer and popular fantasies about what it is like to be a savant are misguided. It can certainly seem like green grass until you are more familiar with the symptoms, or have been institutionalized like myself.

What fascinates me is possible inquiry into the affect upon human diversity by not only H. Neanderthalensis, but other Archaic groups like the Denisovans.


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