Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-25414732-20180428190936/@comment-16461120-20180510213215

No, it's a genetic mutation, specifically a type that's known as a latent gene insertion, intentionally added by Oneg to the genetic code of a tiny percentage of the Homo erectus population.

It then passed down from Homo erectus through interbreeding to hybrid offspring with Homo antecessor, Homo neanderthalensis, and ultimately Homo sapiens where it gained expression in a very small fraction, thus providing potential of producing offspring which are an entirely new species, Homo superior.