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What Is The Definition Of Salmonella genome Medical School Terminology Dictionary
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What Is The Definition Of Salmonella genome Medical School Terminology Dictionary - Video

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Nov-2014

Contact: Molly Grote molly.grote@oup.com 212-743-8337 Oxford University Press USA

In 2001, scientists were finally able to determine the full human genome sequence, and with that discovery began a genomic voyage back in time. Researchers are beginning to unravel our full genetic history, comparing it with closely related species to answer age old questions about how and when we evolved. New genomic evidence has also brought forth a set of questions never before considered, making the field of human evolution more vibrant than ever before.

In ANCESTORS IN OUR GENOME, molecular anthropologist Eugene E. Harris presents a lively and thorough history of the evolution of the human genome and our species. Drawing upon his unique combination of expertise in both population genetics and primate evolution, Harris traces human origins back to their source and explains many of the most intriguing questions that genome scientists are currently working to answer in simple terms.

I hope that you will bring this comprehensive account of our current understanding of the human genome to the attention of your audiences. If you would like to discuss reviews, excerpts, or would like to interview the author, please feel free to contact me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eugene E. Harris is Professor of Biological Sciences and Geology at the City University of New York, and a Research Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Origins at New York University.

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Praise for ANCESTORS IN OUR GENOME:

"Simply indispensable for any reader wishing to learn about the latest research on human origins." --Library Journal, starred review

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Book: 'Ancestors in Our Genome: The New Science of Human Evolution'

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Cats and humans have shared the same households for at least 9,000 years, but we still know very little about how our feline friends became domesticated. An analysis of the cat genome led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals some surprising clues.

The research appears Nov. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

Cats have a relatively recent history of domestication compared with dogs; canines arose from wolves over 30,000 years ago.

Cats, unlike dogs, are really only semidomesticated, said senior author Wes Warren, PhD, associate professor of genetics at The Genome Institute at Washington University. They only recently split off from wild cats, and some even still breed with their wild relatives. So we were surprised to find DNA evidence of their domestication.

One way scientists can understand the genetics of domestication is to look at what parts of the genome are altered in response to living together with humans, Warren added.

The researchers compared the genomes of domestic cats and wild cats, finding specific regions of the domestic cat genome that differed significantly.

The scientists found changes in the domestic cats genes that other studies have shown are involved in behaviors such as memory, fear and reward-seeking. These types of behaviors particularly those when an animal seeks a reward generally are thought to be important in the domestication process.

Humans most likely welcomed cats because they controlled rodents that consumed their grain harvests, said Warren. We hypothesized that humans would offer cats food as a reward to stick around.

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The Cat's Meow: Genome Reveals Clues to Domestication

The first close look at the genetic code of a domestic cat suggests that food rewards from people brought man and feline together, based on genome variations associated with memory and reward behaviors.

The study also identified how cats evolved to lead solitary, meat-eating lives, and finds that, perhaps unsurprisingly, cats arent quite as domesticated as dogs.

The domestic cat genome shows a relatively small number of changed genetic regions compared to domesticated dogs, said Wesley Warren of the Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, who led the study. Cats are clearly still very independent in their behaviors, and, importantly, still interbreed with wild populations.

Americans alone own 96 million cats, according to the Humane Society. The findings, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may help researchers better understand and treat cat diseases, including illnesses shared with humans, such as kidney calcification.

Cat domestication began about 9,000 years ago, an estimate based on the remains of a cat laid carefully next to those of a human at an ancient Cyprus burial site, though most of the 30 to 40 cat breeds today originated just 150 years ago, previous research has found.

To examine what happened during that domestication process, Warren and colleagues sequenced the genome of a female Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon and compared her DNA to genomes from six other domestic cat breeds, two wild cat species, and to the genome of a tiger, dog, cow, and human.

Many of the genes identified as changed in domestic cats have been linked to reward responses, memory and fear conditioning, studies in mice have shown. The genome changes suggest cats became tame as they became less fearful of humans and more responsive to being rewarded with food.

The feline genetic code also offered insight into how cats evolved away from other mammals.

Compared to omnivorous humans and herbivorous cows, carnivorous cats appear to have more quickly evolved genes that bestow an enhanced ability to digest heavy fats found in meat. A study in polar bears published earlier this year found the same genetic adaptation in the DNA of the meat-loving Arctic bear.

In addition, by comparing cat and dog genomes, the researchers found a unique evolutionary trade-off between the two groups: While dogs evolved an unsurpassed sense of smell, cats traded in those smell receptor genes for genes that enhanced their ability to sense pheromones, odorless substances that enable animals of the same species to communicate, such as to find a mate.

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If Your Cat Doesnt Like You Much, Blame Its Genome

Researchers found genetic changes behind domestication Say reward seeking areas were the most changed from wildcats Say changesoccurredfar more quickly than in dogs Cats particularly good at picking up pheromone scents to find mates Team sequenced a domestic female Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon

By Mark Prigg for MailOnline

Published: 19:39 EST, 10 November 2014 | Updated: 19:50 EST, 10 November 2014

Researchers have uncovered the genetic changes that turned the wildcat into a pet.

Cats and humans have shared the same households for at least 9,000 years, but researchers say they knew very little about how they became domesticated.

The researchers compared the genomes of domestic cats and wild cats, finding specific regions of the domestic cat genome that differed significantly.

Cats have a relatively recent history of domestication compared with dogs; canines arose from wolves over 30,000 years ago, while cats have only been domesticated for 9,000 years.

The researchers compared the genomes of domestic cats and wild cats, finding specific regions of the domestic cat genome that differed significantly.

The scientists found changes in the domestic cat's genes that other studies have shown are involved in behaviors such as memory, fear and reward-seeking.

These types of behaviors particularly those when an animal seeks a reward generally are thought to be important in the domestication process.

More here:
How treats and tummy rubs tamed the wildcat: Researchers discover the genetic changes in pet cats - but admit they are ...