Are you a morning person? You may be a Neanderthal descendant

Neanderthals are our closest extinct human relative, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and had defining physical features such as larger noses, angled cheek bones and stockier bodies. They were known to use sophisticated tools, control fire, be skilled in hunting, wear clothing and live in shelters. “We found that Neanderthal DNA that remains in modern humans due to interbreeding has a significant and directional effect on modern humans,” study co-author Tony Capra, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco, wrote in an email. “In particular, the Neanderthal DNA that associates with chronotype consistently increases propensity to be a morning person.”