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Lack of potential mates has lead to "sloppy" gene control and risk of disease for humans
January 24, 2005Our evolutionary ancestors' lack of choice in the mating game has left modern humans exposed to disease, according to new research published in the journal PLOS Biology tomorrow (Tuesday 25 January 2005).
Key regions of our DNA, that control when genes are switched on and off, have been altered by around 140,000 naturally-occurring mutations over the last six million years, the researchers found.
The researchers suggest that most of the 'mildly harmful' mutations occurred at a time when there was only a small population (10,000) of early Hominids, the two legged primates that were to later evolve into both humans and chimpanzees.
Had there been more early Hominids, and hence a greater choice of mates, most of these mutations would have been overridden by natural selection from a larger pool of available DNA.
This contrasts dramatically with rats and mice which, because of their larger ancestral population, have been able to maintain the integrity of their regulatory sections of DNA.
The researchers, from the Universities of Bath, Edinburgh and Sussex, made the finding after comparing control regions in human, rat, mouse and chimpanzee DNA.
After 'unwinding' evolution using statistical techniques, they found that the way our genes are switched on and off is much less carefully controlled in humans and chimpanzees compared to other animals.
"We are used to viewing us as the pinnacle of evolution but seeing that rodents control their genes much more precisely is somewhat sobering," said Dr Martin Lercher from the University of Bath.
"As a species we have become used to the benefits of ever-increasing health care and nutrition, but if what we found is still ongoing, then these improvements might at some point be offset by the deterioration of our gene control regions."
Bath, University of
Evolution Current Events and Evolution News RSSScientists at UA, collaborating institutions decode maize genome
Scientists from the University of Arizona led by Arizona Genomics Institute director Rod A. Wing and from collaborating institutions have deciphered the complete genetic code of the maize plant for the first time.
New Maize Map to Aid Plant Breeding Efforts
In a massive survey of genetic diversity in maize, also known as corn, researchers across the United States, have developed a gene map that should pave the way to significant improvements in a plant that is a major source of food, fuel, animal feed and fiber around the world.
'Hobbits' are a new human species -- according to the statistical analysis of fossils
Researchers from Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York have confirmed that Homo floresiensis is a genuine ancient human species and not a descendant of healthy humans dwarfed by disease.
Research challenges for understanding landscape changes identified
Nine research challenges and four research initiatives that are poised to advance the study of how Earth's landscapes change were unveiled today in a new report by the National Research Council.
Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish
With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists and to the public. Yet little has been known about the evolution of this early branch in the animal tree of life.
Baffling boxy bulge
When targeting spiral galaxy bulges, astronomers often seek edge-on galaxies, as their bulges are more easily distinguishable from the disc.
Study reveals why certain drug combinations backfire
Combination drug therapy has become a staple for treating many infections. For instance, doctors treat extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis with one drug that breaks down the pathogen's protective barriers and opens the door for another to deliver the deathblow.
A glimpse at the Earth's crust deep below the Atlantic
Long-term variations in volcanism help explain the birth, evolution and death of striking geological features called oceanic core complexes on the ocean floor, says geologist Dr Bram Murton of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
Funny, you don't look related
When Charles Darwin visited the Falkland Islands during the voyage of the Beagle in 1835, he saw a wolf-like species, wrote about it in his diaries and correctly commented that it was being hunted in such large numbers that it would soon become extinct.
California's Ancient Kelp Forest
The kelp forests off southern California are considered to be some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, yet a new study indicates that today's kelp beds are less extensive and lush than those in the recent past.
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