Today’s Solutions: March 18, 2024

If you had to guess, how many ancestors would you say that you had? If you consider that homo sapiens, a.k.a humans, came into existence on this Earth around 200,000 years ago that’s a lot of ancestors to add up.

How many ancestors do you think you have?

Scientists from The University of Oxford recently published a paper in Science detailing how they answered this question. Through developing algorithms that combine information from numerous genomic sources, the team at Oxford’s Big Data Institute was able to do what has never been done before and mapped out the largest human family tree ever created.

“We have basically built a huge family tree, a genealogy for all of humanity that models as exactly as we can the history that generated all the genetic variation we find in humans today. This genealogy allows us to see how every person’s genetic sequence relates to each other, along all the points of the genome,” said Dr. Yan Wong, who works at the institute.

How did they do it?

Using comparative DNA analysis of both modern and ancient human genomes across 215 populations, the algorithm outputted a network connecting around 27 million ancestors. These results help us in modeling human migration across the world and the evolution of all organisms inhabiting this planet.

Wong continued: “While humans are the focus of this study, the method is valid for most living things, from orangutans to bacteria. It could be particularly beneficial in medical genetics, in separating true associations between genetic regions and diseases from spurious connections arising from our shared ancestral history.”

This interesting work was able to be carried out thanks to incredible advances in the genetic analysis made in the past 20 years. Whole-genome sequencing opened up a whole new world of comparative genomics and has allowed us to understand genetic diseases and evolution like never before.

Source study: ScienceA unified genealogy of modern and ancient genomes

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Redefining masculinity: influencers lead the charge against toxic narratives

In the enormous expanse of social media, figures such as Andrew Tate have gained prominence for propagating what some refer to as "toxic masculinity." ...

Read More

The surprising human-like intelligence of the humble bee

In the wonderful world of bumblebees, a stunning discovery calls into question the idea that intelligence is entirely determined by brain size. These tiny ...

Read More

Scottish forests are the biggest they’ve been in 900 years

Scotland is a proud and iconic country, with a unique culture and landscape. Travelers from all over the world come to visit Scotland’s highlands, ...

Read More

Could this invisible label revolutionize textile recycling?

It's no secret that garments are thrown out at an alarming rate due to fast fashion and the rapid-fire cycling of trends. Furthermore, we ...

Read More