Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Gene Tied To Facial Development Hints Humans Domesticated Themselves
Science News Magazine ^ | 1-27-2020 | Tina Hesman Saey

Posted on 01/26/2020 10:50:14 PM PST by blam

Called BAZ1B, it may also help explain why domesticated animals look cuter than their wild kin

Domestic animals’ cuteness and humans’ relatively flat faces may be the work of a gene that controls some important developmental cells, a study of lab-grown human cells suggests.

Some scientists are touting the finding as the first real genetic evidence for two theories about domestication. One of those ideas is that humans domesticated themselves over many generations, by weeding out hotheads in favor of the friendly and cooperative (SN: 7/6/17). As people supposedly selected among themselves for tameness traits, other genetic changes occurred that resulted in humans, like other domesticated animals, having a different appearance than their predecessors. Human faces are smaller, flatter and have less prominent brow ridges than Neandertal faces did, for instance.

Domesticated animals look different from their wild counterparts as well. Shorter snouts, curly tails, floppy ears and spotted coats are all traits that tend to pop up in domesticated animals. But until recently, no one had an explanation for this “domestication syndrome.”

Then in 2014, three scientists proposed that as people selected animals for tameness, they also happened to select for genetic changes that slightly hamper movement of some developmentally important cells (SN: 7/14/14). These neural crest cells are present early in embryonic development and migrate to different parts of the embryo where they give rise to many tissues, including bones and cartilage in the face, smooth muscles, adrenal glands, pigment cells and parts of the nervous system. The researchers’ idea was that mild genetic changes might produce neural crest cells that don’t move as well, leading to domestic animals’ cuddlier look.

Both of those big domestication ideas have been just that, with not much hard evidence for or against either.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: anthropology; babyfaced; curlyears; curlytails; domesticated; domestication; evolution; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; humans; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals; ohsomysteriouso
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

1 posted on 01/26/2020 10:50:15 PM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

GGG


2 posted on 01/26/2020 10:50:38 PM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam
It proves a certain member of Congress isn’t human as he hasn’t evolved

3 posted on 01/26/2020 10:54:37 PM PST by BigEdLB (BigEdLB, Russian BOT, At your service)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...
Thanks blam. Looks like yet another iteration of the "gracile anatomically modern humans" Replacement master race theory, btw.

4 posted on 01/26/2020 10:56:33 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: blam

Any other species “self-domesticated “?


5 posted on 01/26/2020 10:56:55 PM PST by married21 (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

So what explains Shifty Schiff?


6 posted on 01/26/2020 10:57:48 PM PST by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigEdLB

He’s feral. No doubt.


7 posted on 01/26/2020 10:59:04 PM PST by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: blam

Is “cuddlier” an example of scientific terminology?


8 posted on 01/26/2020 11:01:36 PM PST by reasonisfaith (What are the implications if the Resurrection of Christ is a true event in history?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: smvoice

In my neighborhood coyotes eat feral. One coyote even showed up at a neighbor’s door with a dead feral cat asking if they had any Gray Poupon.... jk


9 posted on 01/26/2020 11:02:03 PM PST by BigEdLB (BigEdLB, Russian BOT, At your service)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: blam

Do I get a treat?


10 posted on 01/26/2020 11:02:48 PM PST by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigEdLB

Lol!!


11 posted on 01/26/2020 11:03:00 PM PST by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: blam

Cats disagree.


12 posted on 01/26/2020 11:05:58 PM PST by Pelham (RIP California, killed by massive immigration)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

This could help to explain the apparent development of modern humans in several regions as protohumans settled in areas with abundant water and potential for agricultural and herding. Such settlement would provide ready and abundant opportunities for self-selection for greater sociability.


13 posted on 01/26/2020 11:10:59 PM PST by Rockingham
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Opinion: We Didn’t Domesticate Dogs. They Domesticated Us.
National Geographic News | March 3, 2013 | Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods
Posted on 03/03/2013 4:02:35 PM PST by nickcarraway
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/653864/posts

Dogs Make Us Human
Australian Museum | 3-25-2002 | Heidi De Wald
Posted on 03/26/2002 10:29:27 AM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/653864/posts


14 posted on 01/26/2020 11:16:16 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: blam

Another theory that explains our look is neoteny. That’s the retention of juvenile traits in adults. This theory posits that the same genes responsible for our large brains and the length of time it takes to grow them, are also responsible for our hairlessness, weak nails and teeth and thin skins. I suppose our having puppy faces compared to other species in Homo goes along with that.


15 posted on 01/26/2020 11:18:02 PM PST by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

So there is hope for the New Communist Man...


16 posted on 01/26/2020 11:22:38 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Clapper looks pretty tame... floppy ears, flat face....


17 posted on 01/26/2020 11:23:38 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Cuter and tamer isn't always best.

18 posted on 01/26/2020 11:23:38 PM PST by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Domesticated animals look different from their wild counterparts as well. Shorter snouts, curly tails, floppy ears and spotted coats are all traits that tend to pop up in domesticated animals. But until recently, no one had an explanation for this “domestication syndrome.”

...

I thought we already knew that it’s a selection of juvenile traits.


19 posted on 01/26/2020 11:45:18 PM PST by Moonman62 (Charity comes from wealth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62

There was a Russian experiment done with wild foxes kept in captivity, within a few generations they developed floppier ears, spots and curled tails in correlation with reduced cortisol levels as they became more acclimated to humans.


20 posted on 01/27/2020 12:27:14 AM PST by Mr. Blond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson