Thursday, February 14, 2013

Mutation of Human Genetics Through Evolution


 35,000 years ago, when Asia split from Africa, there were gene mutations that gives the people of Asia genetic characteristics that are unique to them. Some of these characteristics include thicker hair, extra sweat glands, smaller teeth,  and smaller breasts among Asian women. A gene known as EDAR is found in Africans and Europeans, but a similar gene in East Asians is found to be mutated. A team of researchers led by Yana G. Kamberov and Pardis C. Sabeti conducted an experiment to get an explanation for the mutation's effects. The researchers used mice who had the same mutation to the EDAR gene. The mice were fed to grow up and when they reached adult age, the mice were found to have the same characteristics; they had thicker hair which proved to the researchers that the gene mutation caused East Asians to have thicker hair. The researchers also discovered that the mice had numerous sweat glands and also smaller breast tissue. The mutation of smaller teeth was hard to prove as the mice originally had smaller teeth and couldn't be compared to human teeth at all. It's concluded that the mutation occurred in Asians in order to adapt to the environment.


  Nature Of Science Themes
1. Science is based on evidence
2. Science is collaborative


Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/science/studying-recent-human-evolution-at-the-genetic-level.html?ref=science&_r=0

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