A fifth of the world's population has a 'superior resilience' to colder temperatures thanks to a genetic mutation, allowing them to never feel the cold, study reveals. Recent studies found a link between the absence of the protein and higher cold tolerance. The change became more prominent as humans began to move into cooler climates - which researchers use as their argument why it may improve cold tolerance. This suggests that the continuous, low-intensity activation of slow-twitch muscle fibres is an energetically effective way to generate heat. While the variant may increase slow-twitch muscle fibres at birth, it is possible that this shift doesn't occur until later in life.

Source: Daily Mail February 17, 2021 18:00 UTC