New approach precisely tracks evolution's footprints in the human genome
Monday, January 11, 2010 - 07:07
in Biology & Nature
Fossils may provide tantalising clues to human history but they also lack some vital information, such as revealing which pieces of human DNA have been favoured by evolution because they confer beneficial traits - resistance to infection or the ability to digest milk, for example. These signs can only be revealed through genetic studies of modern humans and other related species, though the task has proven difficult. Now, in a paper appearing in the January 7 edition of Science Express, researchers describe a method for pinpointing these preferred regions within the human genome that offers greater precision and resolution than ever before, and the possibility of deeply understanding both our genetic past and present...