11 research outputs found
Intraspecific variation in sensitivity to ambient ultraviolet-B radiation in growth and yield characteristics of eight soybean cultivars grown under field conditions
Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe
Update notice Author Correction: Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe (Nature, (2022), 608, 7922, (336-345), 10.1038/s41586-022-05010-7) Nature, Volume 609, Issue 7927, Pages E9, 15 September 2022In European and many African, Middle Eastern and southern Asian populations, lactase persistence (LP) is the most strongly selected monogenic trait to have evolved over the past 10,000 years(1). Although the selection of LP and the consumption of prehistoric milk must be linked, considerable uncertainty remains concerning their spatiotemporal configuration and specific interactions(2,3). Here we provide detailed distributions of milk exploitation across Europe over the past 9,000 years using around 7,000 pottery fat residues from more than 550 archaeological sites. European milk use was widespread from the Neolithic period onwards but varied spatially and temporally in intensity. Notably, LP selection varying with levels of prehistoric milk exploitation is no better at explaining LP allele frequency trajectoriesthan uniform selection since the Neolithic period. In the UK Biobank(4,5) cohort of 500,000 contemporary Europeans, LP genotype was only weakly associated with milk consumption and did not show consistent associations with improved fitness or health indicators. This suggests that other reasons for the beneficial effects of LP should be considered for its rapid frequency increase. We propose that lactase non-persistent individuals consumed milk when it became available but, under conditions of famine and/or increased pathogen exposure, this was disadvantageous, driving LP selection in prehistoric Europe. Comparison of model likelihoods indicates that population fluctuations, settlement density and wild animal exploitation-proxies for these drivers-provide better explanations of LP selection than the extent of milk exploitation. These findings offer new perspectives on prehistoric milk exploitation and LP evolution.Peer reviewe
Effects of Solar UVB Radiation on Growth, Flowering and Yield of Central and Southern European Maize Cultivars (Zea mays L.)
Ultraviolet-B radiation and nitrogen effects on growth and yield of maize under Mediterranean field conditions
Determinants of Children’s Mental Health in War-Torn Settings: Translating Research Into Action
Effects of Ultraviolet-B Irradiance on Intraspecific Competition and Facilitation of Plants: Self-Thinning, Size Inequality, and Phenotypic Plasticity
Redefining the Australian Anthrax Belt: Modeling the Ecological Niche and Predicting the Geographic Distribution of Bacillus anthracis
Enclosing Walls in the Northern San Juan: Sociophysical Boundaries and Defensive Fortifications in the American Southwest
Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe
In European and many African, Middle Eastern and southern Asian populations,
lactase persistence (LP) is the most strongly selected monogenic trait to have evolved
over the past 10,000 years1
. Although the selection of LP and the consumption
of prehistoric milk must be linked, considerable uncertainty remains concerning their
spatiotemporal confguration and specifc interactions2,3
. Here we provide detailed
distributions of milk exploitation across Europe over the past 9,000 years using
around 7,000 pottery fat residues from more than 550 archaeological sites. European
milk use was widespread from the Neolithic period onwards but varied spatially and
temporally in intensity. Notably, LP selection varying with levels of prehistoric milk
exploitation is no better at explaining LP allele frequency trajectories than uniform
selection since the Neolithic period. In the UK Biobank4,5
cohort of 500,000
contemporary Europeans, LP genotype was only weakly associated with milk
consumption and did not show consistent associations with improved ftness or
health indicators. This suggests that other reasons for the benefcial efects of LP
should be considered for its rapid frequency increase. We propose that
lactase non-persistent individuals consumed milk when it became available but,
under conditions of famine and/or increased pathogen exposure, this was
disadvantageous, driving LP selection in prehistoric Europe. Comparison of model
likelihoods indicates that population fuctuations, settlement density and wild animal
exploitation—proxies for these drivers—provide better explanations of LP selection
than the extent of milk exploitation. These fndings ofer new perspectives on
prehistoric milk exploitation and LP evolutio