The agricultural revolution lead to the rise of modern civilization. In a recent study, an international team of scientists has found that after agriculture arrived in Europe 8,500 years ago, people’s DNA underwent widespread changes, altering their height, digestion, immune system and skin color. The researchers found indirect alterations by studying the genomes of living Europeans, making it possible to see the changes over thousands of years. Prior to this discovery, scientists relied on bones and physical remains to comprehend European history. The earliest bones of modern humans in Europe dated back to about 45,000 years ago. Early Europeans lived as human-gatherers for over 35,000 years. About 8,500 years ago, the first archaeological record of farmers was left on the continent. By studying living Europeans, scientists have discovered that their ancestors adapted to agriculture through natural selection, utilizing molecular underpinnings of these traits. Prior to the rise of agriculture, Europe was populated by hunter-gatherers. Then, a wave of people from the Near East, as the DNA suggests, brought agriculture to the continent. Lastly, about 4,500 years ago, a nomadic population from the unforested grassland of Russia, known as the Yamnaya, swept into Europe. The scientists also published how genes have evolved. Previous studies suggested that Europeans were more capable to digest milk once they began raising cattle. In the study published in Nature, David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, confirmed that LCT, the gene that aids milk digestion, experienced intense natural selection and became common in ancient Europe. This dated back only 4,000 years ago. Furthermore, the supply of protein in milk created risks. Early European farmers who depended on wheat and other crops risked low doses of essential nutrients. As a result, a gene called SLC22A4 encoded a protein on the surface of cells to draws in the amino acid called ergothioneine. Wheat and other crops have low levels of ergothioneine, and the new variant increases its absorption, increasing the chance of survival among the farmers. That would have increased the chances of survival among the farmers who had the gene. Scientists hope to track historical changes in the human genome across the globe over tens of thousands of years. Tracking the genome is a “time machine” to the past, as stated by Rasmus Nielsen, a geneticist at the University of California, Berkeley.
This article and the research conducted demonstrate the importance of reconstructing the human and unearthing more fossils in order to understand the origin and descent of ancient Europeans through the genome. By studying the genome of living Europeans, scientists discovered the changes in skin color, digestive enzymes and height. This study raises hopes that scientists can recover far older human genomes. With the discovery of new fossils and skeletons, scientists are able to uncover and forge connections between the adaptation and migration of species.
This article was well written and interesting. Zimmer clearly explained the theories of migration and adaptation. He provided context for the new research by describing previous discoveries. In addition, Zimmer cited all the scientists involved in the research and cited their disagreements in certain theories. However, the sequence of the article was confusing. The discovery of the evolution of traits of Europeans was left to the end of the article. He provided too much context, before explaining the new research, theories and discoveries.
Zimmer, Carl. "Agriculture Linked to DNA Changes in Ancient Europe." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/science/agriculture-linked-to-dna-changes-in-ancient-europe.html?_r=0>.
This article review was very thorough and effective. The first thing I noticed was the amount of detail in the summary. By the end, I was able to completely understand the information presented in the article. Freddie includes facts about specific genes such as the LCT to support her readers’ understanding. Her assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the article were also impressive. She provided explanations for her specific points, such as how the citations for all the scientific information presented makes the article more credible. The last thing I really liked about Freddie’s review was how she mentioned specific scientists that discovered the facts that she mentions. She mentions people such as David Reich to support the legitimacy of research that he conducted.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this review was great in many ways, there are a few aspects that could be improved. The summary was very thorough and comprehensive; however, it could have been more concise. It contained many details that provided more information, but could have been left out and still provided a good understanding of the article. Another aspect that could be improved is that she could have expanded on the connection between society and the information in the article. It was mentioned that scientist can make connections between adaptation and migrations, but more specific insight into what the new research can do to further scientific knowledge would have been helpful.
This article review was very thorough and helped me improve my understanding of the origins of gene adaptation. I chose to read this review because the title seemed interesting and I wanted to know more about the topic. It changed my perspective on gene adaptation because I was not aware of how lifestyle changes throughout could result in gene adaptation.
Zimmer, Carl. "Agriculture Linked to DNA Changes in Ancient Europe." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015. .
I enjoyed this article review; it was very detailed so it allowed me to understand it well. Some points that were recognized and explained were specific genes like LCT and discoveries by specific scientists like David Reich; this increased the credibility of Freddie’s review. She mentioned how the usage of citations for scientific information enhanced the article’s credibility.
ReplyDeleteIt is rare that a summary with so much depth, so it was nice to read, however Freddie could have improved on making the review more concise. To do this she could have left out some of the frivolous details. This article was not really related to our lives today, so that could have been explored. It would have been beneficial to read about how scientific knowledge can be expanded through new research on similarities between adaptation and migrations.
I better understood the origins of gene adaptation after reading this article, and it enhanced my knowledge from AP Environmental Science. Because I already had a grasp on agriculture and why gene adaptation occurs I wanted to further investigate. My perspective relatively stayed the same, but now I have more information to back up my ideas.
Zimmer, Carl. "Agriculture Linked to DNA Changes in Ancient Europe." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015. .