WASHINGTON (AP) — Our very ancient animal ancestors had tails. Why don’t we?
Somewhere around 20 million or 25 million years ago, when apes diverged from monkeys, our branch of the tree of life shed its tail. From Darwin’s time, scientists have wondered why — and how — this happened.
Now, researchers have identified at least one of the key genetic tweaks that led to this change.
“We found a single mutation in a very important gene,” said Bo Xia, a geneticist at the Broad Institute and co-author of a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
The researchers compared the genomes of six species of apes, including humans, and 15 species of monkeys with tails to pinpoint key differences between the groups. Once they identified a significant mutation, they tested their theory by using the gene-editing tool CRISPR to tweak the same spot in mouse embryos. Those mice were born without tails.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Golden Knights beat Wild 7Forsberg gets 10th career hat trick, sets Nashville scoring record as Predators beat Blackhawks 5Devonte' Graham and the Spurs stun the Nuggets, who fall into a threeMax Fried has strong outing against Marlins after uncharacteristically poor start to seasonConservative Christians press Trump to do more on abortionMore history for Tiger Woods. He makes the Masters cut for a record 24th time in a rowTom Watson wants the unity he saw at Masters Champions Dinner for all of golf, end to PGAConservatives compelled by Trump are pushing Nebraska to adopt a winnerDevonte' Graham and the Spurs stun the Nuggets, who fall into a threeWhat to expect in the Alaska and Wyoming Democratic presidential contests
1.921s , 6500.046875 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by Why don't humans have tails? A genetic mutation offers clues ,Worldly Wonders news portal