Shared genetic foundation of the DHEAS pathway indicate similar extended childhoods in Neanderthals and modern humans

Adrenarche, the pre-pubertal rise in adrenal androgens, particularly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form DHEAS, is a critical driver of middle childhood cognitive and social development in modern humans. Compared to other apes, modern human adrenarche is more prolonged, with higher DHEAS levels. Whether this uniquely prolonged human adrenarche is a derived trait of Homo sapiens or has deeper hominin roots remains unresolved. Here, we examine the Neanderthal genetic variation in five key DHEAS biosynthesis genes (HSD3B2, CYP17A1, POR, CYB5A, SULT2A1). We also examine archaic introgression in these genes by comparing high-coverage Neanderthal genomes with globally diverse moder