WASHINGTON (AP) — Our very ancient animal ancestors had tails. Why don’t we?
Somewhere around 20 million or 25 million years ago, when apes diverged from monkeys, our branch of the tree of life shed its tail. From Darwin’s time, scientists have wondered why — and how — this happened.
Now, researchers have identified at least one of the key genetic tweaks that led to this change.
“We found a single mutation in a very important gene,” said Bo Xia, a geneticist at the Broad Institute and co-author of a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
The researchers compared the genomes of six species of apes, including humans, and 15 species of monkeys with tails to pinpoint key differences between the groups. Once they identified a significant mutation, they tested their theory by using the gene-editing tool CRISPR to tweak the same spot in mouse embryos. Those mice were born without tails.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
The Canucks ready for allRussia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted listMachete attack victim, 19, 'murdered by two 12Yankees ace Gerrit Cole throws 15 fastballs in first bullpen session since injuring elbowFans react with horror to Britney Spears' meltdown amid new fears for her safetyRoyal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans to stay alive in IPLFans react with horror to Britney Spears' meltdown amid new fears for her safetyLaverne Cox dons fascinator and cleavageFamily tree reveals Taylor Swift is a descendant of French King Louis XIVBeyonce added to French dictionary with publication listing her as 'American singer of R&B and pop'
2.5972s , 6496.9921875 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by Why don't humans have tails? A genetic mutation offers clues ,World Winds news portal