Tolerance in Homo neanderthalensis

Question

Homo neanderthalensis was an extinct human species that lived in Europe and western Asia, and members of this species subsisted exclusively on hunted and gathered foods. Based on your knowledge of milk tolerance in humans, would you suppose that Homo neanderthalensis individuals were capable to tolerate milk as adults?

Answer 1

Homo neanderthalensis were an extinct member of the Homo genus, found in Europe and parts of central and western Asia. The genetic make of Homo sapiens (that is, humans) and Homo neanderthalensis is 99.5% to 99.9% similar. Homo neanderthalensis lactose intolerant, since cattle domestication during their era was not in practice.

The researchers have examined the lactase gene in  Homo neanderthalensis to verify if that trait might have been passed from Homo neanderthalensis to Homo sapiens.  Results suggest that  Homo neanderthalensis have the lactose intolerant version of the gene proved that the Homo neanderthalensis were not able to digest and metabolize lactose.