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The secrets of the gene tree: How closely related are humans and gorillas?
Human evolutionary genetics is an important field that studies the differences between different human genomes. As science and technology advance, genetic data can provide us with valuable insights into our relationship with other species, especially gorillas. These genetic differences have profound implications for human culture, medicine, history and even forensics.
Origin of apes
Biologists classify humans, along with several other species, as "great apes" in the family Hominidae. Living apes include two species of orangutans, two species of gorillas, and two species of orangutans. These apes form part of the family Hominidae and provide an important context for studying human evolution.
Genetic data provide secrets about the origins of human evolution and our relationship to other apes.
Phylogenetics
Phylogenetic trees are usually constructed based on DNA or protein sequences from different populations. Many studies have used mitochondrial DNA or Y chromosome sequences to explore the evolution of ancient human populations. DNA from these sources often no longer recombine and is very suitable for tracing changes in kinship.
Similarities between genesHumans and chimpanzees share less than 2% of their genes, highlighting how closely related we are. However, despite this, we must also recognize that different gene sequences may show different relationships on the gene tree.
Divergence between humans and non-human apes
For centuries, scientists have explored the process by which humans diverged from our closest nonhuman apes, such as chimpanzees and gorillas. This includes five main questions: Who is the most recent common ancestor of humans? When did differentiation occur? What was the effective population size at the common ancestor? Are there traces of subpopulations before differentiation? and specific events involving chromosome fusions.
The similarity between the human genome and the chimpanzee genome can reach 99.1% in some areas.
Exploration of differentiation time
Current research suggests that humans diverged from other apes between five and six million years ago. This result overturns the earlier hypothesis of differentiation held by many scientists and provides a new perspective for our understanding of the origin of humans.
The role of genetic differencesIn the human genome, about 80 genes gradually lost their functions after separating from the common ancestor with chimpanzees. These genes are mainly related to taste and immune response. The rapid mutation of genes and the loss of some genes have given us unique advantages in adapting to the environment.
For example:
- KRTHAP1: This is a gene related to hair keratin, and its loss may explain the reduction of body hair in humans.
- MYH16: Loss of this gene is thought to play a key role in the increase in human brain size.
The influence of selection pressure
During human evolution, selection pressures have promoted the strengthening of certain genes, giving humans unique characteristics such as language ability and complex social behavior.
Human Acceleration Zone
These gene regions have undergone more significant natural selection in their design and have been shown to be critical for the development of human emotions, language, and higher-order cognitive abilities.
ConclusionThe human genome provides a mirror for our understanding of our own identity, mapping our connections and differences with other organisms. In exploring humans and their kinship with other apes, we are not only searching for biological answers, but also for the roots of cultural and social identity. Ultimately, what we have to think about is: how does all this affect our thinking and understanding of humanity’s own future?
