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Explaining human uniqueness: genome interactions with environment, behaviour and culture. |
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Journal: Nat Rev Genet
Authors: Varki A, Geschwind DH, Eichler EE
Published: 2008 Oct;9(10):749-63
What makes us human? Specialists in each discipline respond through the lens of their own expertise. In fact, 'anthropogeny' (explaining the origin of humans) requires a transdisciplinary approach that eschews such barriers. Here we take a genomic and genetic perspective towards molecular variation, explore systems analysis of gene expression and discuss an organ-systems approach. Rejecting any 'genes versus environment' dichotomy, we then consider genome interactions with environment, behaviour and culture, finally speculating that aspects of human uniqueness arose because of a primate evolutionary trend towards increasing and irreversible dependence on learned behaviours and culture - perhaps relaxing allowable thresholds for large-scale genomic diversity.
PMID: 18802414 [PubMed - in process]
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