We never stopped evolving.
Are humans still evolving? This question is a mystery for many, as about seven million years have passed since humans left the chimpanzee lineage. The factors that forced us to adapt, evolve, and survive harsh environments in the past are no longer relevant.
Today, humans have much longer lifespans and advanced healthcare facilities at their disposal. We live in a comfortable and protected environment almost all the time. The external factors that previously kept us in continuous survival mode don't affect us anymore.A team of researchers from Trinity College Dublin and Alexander Fleming Biomedical Sciences Research Center in Greece explored this question in detail.
They emerged from segments of unique DNA. The significance of these new genes can be understood from the fact that 44 out of the 155 genes were found to be linked to growth anomalies in cell cultures. So they could help us spot growth defects and ensure the optimum health of living systems. The patterns in the unique DNA also suggested that the newFor instance, the researchers noticed three genes with DNA markers related to disorders such as rod-cone dystrophy,The authors suggested that one particular gene of this new collection originated in humans as soon as our ancestors broke out from the gorilla lineage. This gene is now linked to human heart tissue development.
While highlighting the importance of the newly identified genes, senior author and geneticist at TCD, Aoife McLysaght, said, "These genes are convenient to ignore because they're so difficult to study, but I think it'll be increasingly recognized that they need to be looked at and considered. If we're right in what we think we have here, there's a lot more functionally relevant stuff hidden in the human genome."Diagram depicting new genes in humans.
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