The ability to digest lactose into adulthood is a recently evolved trait that has risen to high frequency in some human populations, coincident with the introduction of cattle domestication. A new study shows that variants responsible for this trait arose independently in Europeans and Africans, providing a striking example of convergent evolution.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$189.00 per year
only $15.75 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Get just this article for as long as you need it
$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Tishkoff, S.A. et al. Nat. Genet. 39, 31–40 (2007).
Weijers, H.A. & van de Kamer, J.H. Acta Paediatr. 52, 329–337 (1963).
Kruse, T.A. et al. FEBS Lett. 240, 123–126 (1988).
Boll, W., Wagner, P. & Mantei, N. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 48, 889–902 (1991).
Mantei, N. et al. EMBO J. 7, 2705–2713 (1988).
Harvey, C.B., Pratt, W.S., Islam, I., Whitehouse, D.B. & Swallow, D.M. Eur. J. Hum. Genet. 3, 27–41 (1995).
Enattah, N.S. et al. Nat. Genet. 30, 233–237 (2002).
Kuokkanen, M. et al. Gut 52, 647–652 (2003).
Olds, L.C. & Sibley, E. Hum. Mol. Genet. 12, 2333–2340 (2003).
Troelsen, J.T., Olsen, J., Moller, J. & Sjostrom, H. Gastroenterology 125, 1686–1694 (2003).
Mulcare, C.A. et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 74, 1102–1110 (2004).
Jarvela, I.E. Ann. Med. 37, 179–185 (2005).
Bersaglieri, T. et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 74, 1111–1120 (2004).
Beja-Pereira, A. et al. Nat. Genet. 35, 311–313 (2003).
Bamshad, M. & Wooding, S.P. Nat. Rev. Genet. 4, 99–111 (2003).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wooding, S. Following the herd. Nat Genet 39, 7–8 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0107-7
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0107-7
This article is cited by
-
Validating niche-construction theory through path analysis
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2016)
