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'Perception' gene tracked humanity's evolution, scientists say
EurekAlert (AAAS) ^ | 14 November 2005 | David Bricker and Matthew Hahn

Posted on 11/15/2005 8:35:27 AM PST by PatrickHenry

A gene thought to influence perception and susceptibility to drug dependence is expressed more readily in human beings than in other primates, and this difference coincides with the evolution of our species, say scientists at Indiana University Bloomington and three other academic institutions. Their report appears in the December issue of Public Library of Science Biology.

The gene encodes prodynorphin, an opium-like protein implicated in the anticipation and experience of pain, social attachment and bonding, as well as learning and memory.

"Humans have the ability to turn on this gene more easily and more intensely than other primates," said IU Bloomington computational biologist Matthew Hahn, who did the brunt of the population genetics work for the paper. "Given its function, we believe regulation of this gene was likely important in the evolution of modern humans' mental capacity."

Prodynorphin is a precursor molecule of the neurotransmitters alpha-endorphin, dynorphin A, and dynorphin B, collectively called opioids because their action is similar to stimulatory effects caused by the drug opium.

The notion that humans are more perceptive than other primates would hardly be news. But the list of genes known to have tracked or guided humanity's separation from the other apes is a short one. Genes controlling the development of the brain almost always turn out to be identical or nearly so in chimpanzees and human beings. And as it turns out, the protein prodynorphin is identical in humans and chimps.

It's the prodynorphin gene's promoter sequence -- upstream DNA that controls how much of the protein is expressed -- where the big differences are. "Only about 1 to 1.5 percent of our DNA differs from chimpanzees," Hahn said. "We found that in a stretch of DNA about 68 base pairs in length upstream of prodynorphin, 10 percent of the sequence was different between us and chimps."

Hahn said this "evolutionary burst" is responsible for differences in gene expression rates. When induced, the human prodynorphin gene was 20 percent more active than the chimpanzee prodynorphin gene. Past research has also observed variation in expression levels within humans.

This report supports a growing consensus among evolutionary anthropologists that hominid divergence from the other great apes was fueled not by the origin of new genes, but by the quickening (or slowing) of the expression of existing genes.

Hahn and his colleagues at Duke University, University College London and Medical University of Vienna first became interested in primate prodynorphin after noticing an unusual amount of variation in the human version's promoter. The scientists decided to examine the prodynorphin gene in human beings around the world and in non-human primates to see whether such variation was commonplace and whether that variation affected gene expression.

The group found a surprisingly large amount of genetic variation among humans within the prodynorphin gene's promoter. They examined prodynorphin genes from Chinese, Papua New Guineans, (Asian) Indians, Ethiopians, Cameroonians, Austrians and Italians.

The group also sequenced and cloned prodynorphin genes from chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, rhesus macaques, pigtail macaques and guinea baboons. The researchers found that high genetic variation in the prodynorphin promoter was unique to humans. Other primates' promoters were far more homogeneous.

Exactly how prodynorphin influences human perception is unknown. Evidence for its various effects comes entirely from clinical studies of people who have mutations in the gene. Past clinical studies have also indicated a positive correlation between lower prodynorphin levels in the brain and susceptibility to cocaine dependence.

Matthew Rockman, David Goldstein and Gregory Wray (Duke University); Nicole Soranzo (University College London); and Fritz Zimprich (Medical University of Vienna) also contributed to the research. It was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Royal Society, and the Leverhulme Trust (U.K.).


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: crevolist; godsgravesglyphs
Underlining added by me. Everyone be nice.
1 posted on 11/15/2005 8:35:29 AM PST by PatrickHenry
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To: VadeRetro; Junior; longshadow; RadioAstronomer; Doctor Stochastic; js1138; Shryke; RightWhale; ...
Evolution Ping

The List-O-Links
A conservative, pro-evolution science list, now with over 320 names.
See the list's explanation, then FReepmail to be added or dropped.
To assist beginners: But it's "just a theory", Evo-Troll's Toolkit,
and How to argue against a scientific theory.

2 posted on 11/15/2005 8:36:45 AM PST by PatrickHenry (Expect no response if you're a troll, lunatic, retard, or incurable ignoramus.)
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To: PatrickHenry

Didn't Pavlav and his dog cover this same subject?


3 posted on 11/15/2005 8:39:29 AM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government.)
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To: PatrickHenry

Sounds like someone ate of the Tree of Knowledge.


4 posted on 11/15/2005 8:39:53 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: PatrickHenry
Copycat.

:P

5 posted on 11/15/2005 8:40:27 AM PST by balrog666 (A myth by any other name is still inane.)
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To: PatrickHenry

"Only about 1 to 1.5 percent of our DNA differs from chimpanzees..

I am always shocked that the percentage is this great.


6 posted on 11/15/2005 8:43:15 AM PST by DOGEY
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To: PatrickHenry
But the list of genes known to have tracked or guided humanity's separation from the other apes is a short one.

That sentence ought to flip out the "screech, jabber, and fling dung" crowd.

7 posted on 11/15/2005 8:43:28 AM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: balrog666

We can't have both threads going at once. You were first, so you decide. If you want yours to prevail, let me know. If you like, I'll ask the mods to delete this one and I'll ping the list to yours.


8 posted on 11/15/2005 8:44:36 AM PST by PatrickHenry (Expect no response if you're a troll, lunatic, retard, or incurable ignoramus.)
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To: PatrickHenry

Very interesting, thanks. Has to be a genetic reason for some otherwise non-adaptive human behavior...


9 posted on 11/15/2005 8:46:45 AM PST by bigbob (2)
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To: PatrickHenry

I ain't no monkey!


10 posted on 11/15/2005 8:48:33 AM PST by Oztrich Boy (Paging Nehemiah Scudder:the Crazy Years are peaking. America is ready for you.)
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To: PatrickHenry

Thanks for the ping!


11 posted on 11/15/2005 8:49:31 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: PatrickHenry

Finally an idea that both evos and anti-evos can accept.

;)


12 posted on 11/15/2005 8:52:34 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: VadeRetro
This report supports a growing consensus among evolutionary anthropologists that hominid divergence from the other great apes was fueled not by the origin of new genes, but by the quickening (or slowing) of the expression of existing genes.

Interesting...this is similar to the proposed manner of evolution for various hormones.

13 posted on 11/15/2005 8:52:37 AM PST by Rudder
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To: Rudder

It's vindicating all those who have insisted that the "junk" isn't junk, of course. But we've known for some time that some of the non-coding regions were regulatory and that regulation was a big part of the game. (Of course, whole families of genes also regulate the expression of other genes.)


14 posted on 11/15/2005 8:56:59 AM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: PatrickHenry
Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good,
They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home.
Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
-Bob Dylan
15 posted on 11/15/2005 8:59:36 AM PST by balrog666 (A myth by any other name is still inane.)
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To: VadeRetro

Yep, and it plays hell with Behe's "irreducable complexity."


16 posted on 11/15/2005 9:00:36 AM PST by Rudder
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To: PatrickHenry

No disagreement with the Old Testament that I can see.


17 posted on 11/15/2005 9:02:36 AM PST by onedoug
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