Friday, May 31, 2013

Mountain Populations Offer Clues to Human Evolution

In recent studies, scientists have been researching the differences of human evolution up in mountainous regions. This, according to professor of human genetics Anna di Rienzo, is a whole different case of natural selection. These observations can supposedly be important towards the field of evolutionary biology by examining the different DNAs of people living in the mountains. 

 As people transition to higher elevations, there starts to become a problem with getting enough oxygen. However, the human body does its part to attempt to adjust. According to this article, some produce higher levels of hemoglobin, which allows for greater circulation of oxygen. However, because higher levels lead to blood clot, studies have shown that living in the mountains are a lot easier for those whose ancestors have been occupying those regions for generations. 

  Studies on people of Tibet by Dr. Nielsen have shown that these adaptations in DNA have found that the gene EPAS1 was the main factor in adapting to different altitudes. However, studies in Nigeria by two other teams examined the genes of Ethiopians also living in high altitudes, and found no EPAS1 present. Instead, the gene BHLHE41 was prominenti n their DNA. It was concluded that both genes allow for humans to better cope with varying levels of altitudes. However, more work will have to be done to figure out the differences of the workings of those two genes.

 NOS Themes:

 Science is collaborative; multiple teams of scientists worked in attempt to figure out the adaptations in people's DNA

 Science is subject to debate and tentative; the two teams of scientists had conflicted findings with two different genes. It is subject to debate as to what each one will exactly do. 

Role of motivation and curiosity; scientists were interested and curious as to how different humans around the world adapt to different levels of altitude. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/science/mountain-populations-offer-clues-to-human-evolution.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1370061677-WTpjaVCLsC1k9U3ayloPHA

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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 1, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    That's really cool. I read in the article linked below that humans have also adapted to UV radiation. Our skin pigmentation has changed and we're able to tan. Makes you wonder what other things we've adapted to.

    http://www.pnas.org/content/107/suppl.2/8962.full

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  2. AnonymousJune 2, 2013 at 6:33 PM

    That's a very interesting article! You always hear studies of how other plants or animals evolve over time but not many stories of how we do. I agree with Crystal, it is interesting to think about what else we've adapted to and how we've evolved. I would like to add the NOS Science is Collaborative because multiple scientists helped contribute to the findings of this study.

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  3. AnonymousJune 2, 2013 at 7:31 PM

    Really cool article! I read an article a while ago showing evolutionary traits of a village isolated in the Amazon. The people in that village had a special trait that allowed them to easily see underwater. I think that in the future their will be less genetic diversity between the human population because traveling has become so easy. I dont think populations of humans will be isolated for much longer.

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