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Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Pollen, AA; Kilik, U; Lowe, CB; Camp, JG
Published in: Nat Rev Genet
October 2023

Our ancestors acquired morphological, cognitive and metabolic modifications that enabled humans to colonize diverse habitats, develop extraordinary technologies and reshape the biosphere. Understanding the genetic, developmental and molecular bases for these changes will provide insights into how we became human. Connecting human-specific genetic changes to species differences has been challenging owing to an abundance of low-effect size genetic changes, limited descriptions of phenotypic differences across development at the level of cell types and lack of experimental models. Emerging approaches for single-cell sequencing, genetic manipulation and stem cell culture now support descriptive and functional studies in defined cell types with a human or ape genetic background. In this Review, we describe how the sequencing of genomes from modern and archaic hominins, great apes and other primates is revealing human-specific genetic changes and how new molecular and cellular approaches - including cell atlases and organoids - are enabling exploration of the candidate causal factors that underlie human-specific traits.

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Published In

Nat Rev Genet

DOI

EISSN

1471-0064

Publication Date

October 2023

Volume

24

Issue

10

Start / End Page

687 / 711

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Organoids
  • Humans
  • Hominidae
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Developmental Biology
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • 3105 Genetics
  • 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology
  • 0607 Plant Biology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Pollen, A. A., Kilik, U., Lowe, C. B., & Camp, J. G. (2023). Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution. Nat Rev Genet, 24(10), 687–711. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-022-00568-4
Pollen, Alex A., Umut Kilik, Craig B. Lowe, and J Gray Camp. “Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution.Nat Rev Genet 24, no. 10 (October 2023): 687–711. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-022-00568-4.
Pollen AA, Kilik U, Lowe CB, Camp JG. Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution. Nat Rev Genet. 2023 Oct;24(10):687–711.
Pollen, Alex A., et al. “Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution.Nat Rev Genet, vol. 24, no. 10, Oct. 2023, pp. 687–711. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/s41576-022-00568-4.
Pollen AA, Kilik U, Lowe CB, Camp JG. Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution. Nat Rev Genet. 2023 Oct;24(10):687–711.

Published In

Nat Rev Genet

DOI

EISSN

1471-0064

Publication Date

October 2023

Volume

24

Issue

10

Start / End Page

687 / 711

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Organoids
  • Humans
  • Hominidae
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Developmental Biology
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • 3105 Genetics
  • 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology
  • 0607 Plant Biology