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

GWHEG figure

Monday, January 29, 2018

Genetic adaptation to the dietary shift!!

Recent research shows how our genes can adapt to the introduction of a new diet. This is evidenced in the study conducted in European populations where researchers investigated how the dietary transition from animal-based diet to plant-based diet (during the agricultural revolution) in European populations resulted in the selection of adaptive alleles. Using analysis on ancient and modern DNA, they found  positive selection on opposite alleles of the same variants. This genetic evidence makes implication of dietary variation among human population throughout the time.

To read more, here is the article on science news: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612153554.htm

and the original paper: 
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2017/03/09/111229.full.pdf


Axelle

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