Genetic Archaeology News - October 2009 Archives

Bad driving may have genetic basis (10/31/2009)

People with gene variant perform more than 20 percent worse on driving test ...> Full Article

The skeleton: Size matters (10/30/2009)

It has long been known that the identity of each vertebra is due to the activation of a class of genes called "Hox." Now, in the latest issue of Developmental Cell researchers from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, in Portugal, the Institute KNAW and University Medical Center show that besides determining the identity of the vertebrae, Hox genes also have a say in how many are going to be formed at all. ...> Full Article

Examining genetic variations among the Huichol population of Mexico (10/29/2009)

Mexican researchers examined the polymorphisms of three enzymes -- alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1B), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) -- in the Mestizo and Huichol groups. The Huichols, an indigenous group, had the highest CYP2E1*c2 allele frequency documented in the world. This high frequency, in conjunction with the absence of protective ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms, may place the Huichols at particularly high genetic risk for alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease. ...> Full Article

New study reveals first ever method to genetically identify all 8 tuna species (10/28/2009)

A new paper published Oct. 27 in PLoS ONE, the online, open-access scientific journal, unveils for the first time a method to accurately distinguish between all eight tuna species from any kind of processed tissue using genetic sequencing. ...> Full Article

A solution to Darwin's 'mystery of the mysteries' emerges from the dark matter of the genome (10/27/2009)

Why do crosses between two species often yield sterile or inviable progeny (for instance, mules emerging from a cross between a horse and a donkey)? New research into this field by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests that the solution to this problem lies in the "dark matter of the genome": heterochromatin, a tightly packed, gene-poor compartment of DNA found within the genomes of all nucleated cells. ...> Full Article

Female choice benefits mothers more than offspring (10/26/2009)

The great diversity of male sexual traits, ranging from peacock's elaborate train to formidable genitalia of male seed beetles, is the result of female choice. But why do females choose among males? In a new study published today in Current Biology, researchers from Uppsala University found no support for the theory that the female choice is connected to "good genes." ...> Full Article

Color differences within and between species have common genetic origin (10/25/2009)

Spend a little time people-watching at the beach and you're bound to notice differences in the amount, thickness and color of people's body hair. Then head to the zoo and compare people to chimps, our closest living relatives. ...> Full Article

The first men and women from the Canary Islands were Berbers (10/24/2009)

A team of Spanish and Portuguese researchers has carried out molecular genetic analysis of the Y chromosome (transmitted only by males) of the aboriginal population of the Canary Islands to determine their origin and the extent to which they have survived in the current population. The results suggest a North African origin for these paternal lineages which, unlike maternal lineages, have declined to the point of being practically replaced today by European lineages. ...> Full Article

Why sex with a partner is better (10/23/2009)

Oregon research shows why a mate provides an evolutionary advantage over self-fertilization ...> Full Article

Are humans still evolving? Absolutely, says a new analysis of a long-term survey of human health (10/22/2009)

Although advances in medical care have improved standards of living over time, humans aren't entirely sheltered from the forces of natural selection, a new study shows. Sponsored by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, a team of researchers decided to find out if natural selection is still at work in humans today. The result? Humans are still evolving. In fact, we're likely to evolve at roughly the same rates as other living things, findings suggest. ...> Full Article

Ancient bison genetic treasure trove for farmers (10/21/2009)

Genetic information from an extinct species of bison preserved in permafrost for thousands of years could help improve modern agricultural livestock and breeding programs, according to University of Adelaide researchers. ...> Full Article

Time in a bottle: Scientists watch evolution unfold (10/19/2009)

A 21-year Michigan State University experiment that distills the essence of evolution in laboratory flasks not only demonstrates natural selection at work, but could lead to biotechnology and medical research advances, researchers said. ...> Full Article

Whale-sized genetic study largest ever for southern hemisphere humpbacks (10/14/2009)

After 15 years of research in the waters of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and an international coalition of organizations have unveiled the largest genetic study of humpback whale populations ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. ...> Full Article

Unnatural selection: Birth control pills may alter choice of partners (10/9/2009)

Is it possible that the use of oral contraceptives is interfering with a woman's ability to choose, compete for and retain her preferred mate? A new paper published by Cell Press in the October issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution reviews emerging evidence suggesting that contraceptive methods which alter a woman's natural hormonal cycles may have an underappreciated impact on choice of partners for both women and men and, possibly, reproductive success. ...> Full Article

The amazing maze of maize evolution (10/4/2009)

Understanding the evolution and domestication of maize is important for many researchers. As one of the most important crops worldwide and one that appears very different from its wild relatives because of domestication, understanding exactly how maize has evolved has many practical benefits and may help improve crop yields. Dr. Marina Dermastia and colleagues compared corn kernel development to its closest wild relative and have overturned some commonly held beliefs on the domestication of maize. ...> Full Article

Genetic conflict in fish led to evolution of new sex chromosomes (10/3/2009)

University of Maryland biologists have genetically mapped the sex chromosomes of several species of cichlid fish from Lake Malawi, East Africa, and identified a mechanism by which new sex chromosomes may evolve. ...> Full Article

Small mammals have a 'Celtic fringe' too (10/2/2009)

The origin of the "Celtic fringe" of genetically and culturally distinctive people in the Northern and Western British Isles is the source of fierce academic controversy.But new research into the movement of small mammals, such as voles and shrews, at the end of the last Ice Age, could provide important new clues to resolve the debate. ...> Full Article

Research team uncovers evolutionary origins of prion disease gene (10/1/2009)

A University of Toronto-led team has uncovered the evolutionary ancestry of the prion gene, which may reveal new understandings of how the prion protein causes diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as "mad cow disease." ...> Full Article