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How 240 Species Hold the Key to Understanding Human Genes

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The Zoonomia Project has made significant strides in understanding the human genome by identifying key regions that have remained largely unchanged over millions of years. Through comparative analysis of genomes from 240 mammalian species, researchers hope to shed light on disease susceptibility and unique traits. Recent studies published in Science highlight how this genomic exploration can enhance not only our understanding of health and disease but also efforts in biodiversity conservation. Over 10% of the human genome has been found to be highly conserved, particularly in areas linked to embryonic development and RNA expression regulation.

The project, led by Elinor Karlsson and Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, involved contributions from over 150 scientists and institutions globally, including samples from endangered species provided by the San Diego Wildlife Alliance. They also discovered that less genetically diverse mammals face higher risks of extinction and identified regulatory regions associated with various traits, including brain size and olfactory abilities. Furthermore, the Zoonomia Project’s findings are being utilized to find genetic variants associated with rare and common diseases and suggest evolutionary conservation could play a role in discovering risk factors for diseases such as cancer. The ongoing research promises to deepen our understanding of both mammalian evolution and human health.

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