Well, maybe not my Grandad but perhaps a few great Grandfathers back.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...=11604&sp=true
I'm not surprised about the Neanderthal thing because that's just a different species, right? But is there any great distinction between ancient and modern Aboriginal genes?
For some of this I'm guessing it's just a case of the average being better in the good old days or would some of those Greek rowers have given Steve Redgrave a run for his money and, if so, why? Is it that they were basically training from early childhood or perhaps because their whole lives were effectively spent training whereas Steve might spend the odd evening in front of the telly?
Were people born tough or did they get tough? And is there a cut off age where you can never make up ground on what you could have achieved if you had started training younger?