To claim that "we are Neanderthals" is wrong because while modern humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor and interbred, Neanderthals were a distinct sp

To claim that "we are Neanderthals" is wrong because while modern humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor and interbred, Neanderthals were a distinct species that went extinct. Genetic contributions from Neanderthals to modern humans are minor, typically around 1-2% in non-African populations, and do not make us Neanderthal in any meaningful sense. Moreover, the idea that specific Neanderthal genes explain large behavioral differences among human populations is not supported by scientific consensus—human behavior is shaped by a complex mix of genetics, culture, and environment. While some Neanderthal-derived genes may have influenced traits like immune response or altitude adaptation, the assertion that they drive major behavioral differences is speculative and echoes outdated, often racially charged ideas about genetic determinism. Biologists do discuss these topics openly, but they do so within the rigorous framework of evolutionary genetics, not unfounded assumptions about "large portions of variances" in human behavior.