Neanderthals also probably shared our ability to taste bitter chemicals. People vary in their like or dislike of certain bitter plants such as broccoli and brussels sprouts. This difference is in part determined by the genetic variants a person carries for a gene called TAS2R38, which is expressed in our taste buds. The common form of this gene allows people to taste bitter chemicals like phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), which has long been used by scientists to screen individuals for bitter detection. Those of us carrying at least one copy of this common TAS2R38 gene variant, which is dominant, are
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