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Certain Neanderthal genes might explain why some people naturally have better muscle development. These genetic variations were inherited from the now-extinct Neanderthals around 47,000 years ago. An international team of researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology discovered that a Neanderthal-specific genetic mutation enhances the sensitivity of muscle and bone cells to growth hormone.

This mutation resulted in the growth hormone receptors becoming more responsive, allowing the cells to receive stronger signals for growth. The research, published in Current Biology, revealed that the mutation's effects became apparent during adolescence when growth hormone production triples. Additionally, individuals with the mutation tended to have slightly shorter rear lower jaws and shorter tooth roots, traits typical of Neanderthals.

The mutation is found in 94% of Neanderthals but only 10% of modern humans, making it more common in East Asian populations (28%) and rare in Europeans (0.5%) and Native Americans (2%). The researchers believe that this gene was introduced into the modern human genome during interbreeding events between Neanderthals and modern humans about 47,000 years ago.