The original research paper published in Nature Communications can be found HERE.
This is the blog for GW students taking Human Evolutionary Genetics. This site is for posting interesting tidbits on: the patterns and processes of human genetic variation;human origins and migration; molecular adaptations to environment, lifestyle and disease; ancient and forensic DNA analyses; and genealogical reconstructions.
GWHEG figure
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Genomic evidence of recent evolution in wild Tasmanian devils
A recent article in the Washington Post describes how a contagious cancer, which causes facial tumors, has ravaged wild populations of Tasmanian devils -- Populations have declined by ~80% in the last 20 years! Genetic diversity in Tasmanian devils is generally low (which probably made them immunologically vulnerable to begin with), but in populations that persist researchers found genomic regions containing immune-function genes that have undergone recent selection. Thus population genomics shows evidence of recent evolution in these wild devils.
The original research paper published in Nature Communications can be found HERE.
The original research paper published in Nature Communications can be found HERE.
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