New information has emerged about the way humans interacted with Neanderthals throughout history.

The journals of Science and Nature initially revealed that Neanderthals interbred with humans, despite some strained relations between the two sides. In addition, researchers claim that modern day humans possess some Neanderthal skin and hair traits.

Humans reportedly acquired certain beneficial traits from the Neanderthals in order to adjust to the colder climates. Thus, Neanderthals are responsible for 1 to 2 percent of the DNA in people from Europe and East Asia, according to USA Today. 

Harvard Medical School's Sriram Sankararaman, who was the lead author of one of the studies, elaborated upon this notion about the connection between traits and climate.

"Neanderthals were living (there) for hundreds of thousands of years, and so they had genetics that were adapted to the environment," Sankararaman said. "Modern humans were moving into these same areas, and the genes they acquired from Neanderthals could have been beneficial."

However, researchers are unable to draw many conclusion on whether the Neanderthal influence in humans was helpful or harmful in the long run. According to the research, the offspring sometimes was weaker and infertile, particularly males.

"It's impossible to come to a simple conclusion like 'It was beneficial' or 'It was deleterious,' or 'It was not helpful,'" says another author involved in the research, University of Washington evolutionary geneticist Joshua Akey. "It was all of those things simultaneously. In different parts of our genome, (mixing) was advantageous. In other parts of our genome, it was not a good thing."

Rival teams, according to USA Today, completed the two studies and used different methods. 

What do you think about the research and the findings? Do you think it sounds accurate or could it be challenged? In the comments section below, let us know what you think about it.