All Articles Tagged As: primates

Why King Kong failed to impress (12/9/2009)

Humans have the same receptors for detecting odors related to sex as do other apes and primates. But each species uses them in different ways, stemming from the way the genes for these receptors have evolved over time, according to Duke University researchers. ...> Full Article

Key feature of immune system survived in humans, other primates for 60 million years (8/23/2009)

A new study has concluded that one key part of the immune system, the ability of vitamin D to regulate anti-bactericidal proteins, is so important that is has been conserved through almost 60 million years of evolution and is shared only by primates, including humans -- but no other known animal species. ...> Full Article

New insight into primate eye evolution (5/20/2009)

Researchers comparing the fetal development of the eye of the owl monkey with that of the capuchin monkey have found that only a minor difference in the timing of cell proliferation can explain the multiple anatomical differences in the two kinds of eyes. ...> Full Article

Study confirms 3 Neanderthal sub-groups (4/15/2009)

The Neanderthals inhabited a vast geographical area extending from Europe to western Asia and the Middle East 30,000 to 100,000 years ago. Now, a group of researchers are questioning whether or not the Neanderthals constituted a homogenous group or separate sub-groups (between which slight differences could be observed). A new study published April 15 in the online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE may provide some answers. ...> Full Article

Genomic fossils in lemurs shed light on origin and evolution of HIV and other primate lentiviruses (3/21/2009)

A retrovirus related to HIV became stably integrated into the genome of several lemurs around 4.2 million years ago, according to research led by Dr. Cedric Feschotte at the University of Texas, Arlington. Published March 20 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, the analysis of prosimian immunodeficiency virus offers new insights into the evolution of lentiviruses. ...> Full Article

A dead gene comes back to life in humans (3/7/2009)

Researchers have discovered that a long-defunct gene was resurrected during the course of human evolution. This is believed to be the first evidence of a doomed gene -- infection-fighting human IRGM -- making a comeback in the human/great ape lineage. The study, led by Evan Eichler's genome science laboratory at the University of Washington and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is published March 6 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. ...> Full Article

Execretion analysis aids primate social studies (2/17/2009)

Biologist gets the straight poop on baboons ...> Full Article

Ancestral genome of present-day African great apes & humans had burst of DNA sequence duplication (2/12/2009)

Duplicated sequences contained rapidly evolving genes ...> Full Article

Mapping a Clan of Mobile Selfish Genes (10/24/2008)

Much of human DNA is the genetic equivalent of e-mail spam: short repeated sequences that have no obvious function other than making more of themselves. ...> Full Article

Researchers find 'junk DNA' may have triggered (9/5/2008)

Out of the 3 billion genetic letters that spell out the human genome, scientists have found a handful that may have contributed to the evolutionary changes in human limbs that enabled us to manipulate tools and walk upright. ...> Full Article

Lemur Family Tree Conclusively Mapped (2/23/2008)

Pre-Monkey's evolutionary history may shed light on our own ...> Full Article

Losses Of Long-established Genes Contribute To Human Evolution (12/21/2007)

While it is well understood that the evolution of new genes leads to adaptations that help species survive, gene loss may also afford a selective advantage. A group of scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz led by biomolecular engineering professor David Haussler has investigated this less-studied idea, carrying out the first systematic computational analysis to identify long-established genes that have been lost across millions of years of evolution leading to the human species. ...> Full Article

Ancient retroviruses spurred evolution of gene regulatory networks in primates (11/14/2007)

When ancient retroviruses slipped bits of their DNA into the primate genome millions of years ago, they successfully preserved their own genetic legacy. Today an estimated 8 percent of the human genetic code consists of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs)--the DNA remnants from these so-called 'selfish parasites.' ...> Full Article

Primate Sperm Competition: Speed Matters (9/26/2007)

Researchers have found evidence that supports the theory that reproductive competition during the evolution of primate species has occurred at the level of sperm cell motility. ...> Full Article

Color Night Vision In The Aye-Aye, A Most Unusual Primate (9/6/2007)

A quest to gain a more complete picture of color vision evolution has led Biodesign Institute researcher Brian Verrelli to an up-close, genetic encounter with one of the world's most rare and bizarre-looking primates. ...> Full Article

Genomics Study Provides Insight Into The Evolution Of Unique Human Traits, Including Endurance Running (8/2/2007)

Today, researchers from the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC), along with colleagues from Stanford University, report the results of a large-scale, genome-wide study to investigate gene copy number differences among ten primate species, including humans. ...> Full Article