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1: Science. 2006 Jul 14;313(5784):172; author reply 172.Click here to read Links
Comment on:
Science. 2005 Sep 9;309(5741):1717-20.
Science. 2005 Sep 9;309(5741):1720-2.

Comment on "Ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM, a brain size determinant in Homo sapiens" and "Microcephalin, a gene regulating brain size, continues to evolve adaptively in humans".

Currat M, Excoffier L, Maddison W, Otto SP, Ray N, Whitlock MC, Yeaman S.

Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.

Mekel-Bobrov et al. and Evans et al. (Reports, 9 Sept. 2005, p. 1720 and p. 1717, respectively) examined sequence data from modern humans within two gene regions associated with brain development, ASPM and microcephalin, and concluded that selection of these genes must be ongoing. We show that models of human history that include both population growth and spatial structure can generate the observed patterns without selection.

PMID: 16840683 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]