Re: Paper: Expression profiling in primates reveals a rapid evolution of human transcription factors


"Robert Karl Stonjek" <rstonjek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:duoiro$vbt$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nature 440, 242-245 (9 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/nature04559

Expression profiling in primates reveals a rapid evolution of human
transcription factors
Yoav Gilad, Alicia Oshlack, Gordon K. Smyth, Terence P. Speed and Kevin P.
White

Abstract
Although it has been hypothesized for thirty years that many human
adaptations are likely to be due to changes in gene regulation1, almost
nothing is known about the modes of natural selection acting on regulation
in primates. Here we identify a set of genes for which expression is
evolving under natural selection. We use a new multi-species complementary
DNA array to compare steady-state messenger RNA levels in liver tissues
within and between humans, chimpanzees, orangutans and rhesus macaques.
[snip]

Full Text at Nature
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7081/full/nature04559.html

Hmmm. Most of those primates eat raw fruits and vegetables. But
one of them eats cooked meats, grains, and tubers. Which species
do you think will have shown the most evolution of gene expression
in the liver?

It is not the aspect of human evolution that most people get excited
about.


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