The research, which was released earlier this week in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, revealed that people who rise early might have inherited Neanderthal genes that make them more likely to be morning people rather than people who thrive in the evening.

inherited from Neanderthals, an extinct human cousin that lived approximately 40,000 years ago. The National Library of Medicine defines the circadian rhythm as “the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment.” It was developed by those beings.

According to the study, Neanderthals had to adjust to higher latitudes with varying daylight and temperature throughout the year. These genes were then passed down to modern humans when they started mating with Homo sapiens.

Researchers were able to compile information from the UK Biobank, a health database that includes self-reported data on whether or not people identify as early risers.
According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, elongated cheekbones and larger noses and bodies were among the physical characteristics that identified Neanderthal people.

The group went on to say that Neanderthals were intelligent animals who lived in shelters, controlled fire, and used tools. They were expert hunters as well as cloth makers and wearers.

In a statement to The Washington Post, study co-author Tony Capra, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “We found that Neanderthal DNA that remains in modern humans due to interbreeding has a significant and directional effect on modern humans.”

Capra continued, “Neanderthal DNA associates with chronotype, in particular, consistently increases propensity to be a morning person.”