Farming Changed the Human Genome with New Genetic Features

First Posted: Nov 25, 2015 08:00 AM EST

Farming may have changed the human genome. Scientists have conducted a genomic analysis of ancient remains and have found that specific genes changed during and after the transition in Europe from hunting and gathering to farming about 8,500 years ago.

Until recently, researchers could only try to understand the way humans adapted genetically to changes by looking at DNA variation in today's populations. Now, scientists can now see how natural selection happened by analyzing ancient DNA.

"It allows us to put a time and date on selection and to directly associate selection with specific environmental changes, in this case the development of agriculture and the expansion of the first farmers into Europe," said Iain Mathieson, one of the researchers, in a news release.

The researchers used a better DNA extraction technique and amassed what is to date the largest collection of genome-wide datasets from ancient human remains. This allowed the scientists to identify specific genes that changed during and after the transition from hunting and gathering to farming.

So what did they find? Many of the variants occurred on or near genes that have been associated with height, the ability to digest lactose in adulthood, fatty acid metabolism, vitamin D levels, light skin pigmentation and blue eye color. Two variants appear on genes that have been linked to a higher risk of celiac disease, as well.

The work also supports the idea that Europe's first farmers came from ancient Anatolia, in what is now Turkey.

"From an archaeological perspective, it's quite amazing," said Ron Pinhasi, one of the researchers. "The Neolithic revolution is perhaps the most important transition in human prehistory. We now have proof that people did actually go from Anatolia into Europe and brought farming with them. For more than 40 years, people thought it was impossible to answer that question. Second, we now have evidence that genetic selection occurred along with the changes in lifestyle and demography, and that selection continued to happen following the transition."

The findings are published in the journal Nature.

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TagsGenome, Genomic Screening, Genomes, Human, human ancestor, Farmers, DNA, Skeleton