What is it about the Dan Man, an extinct human species, whose genes are still alive in the genome of modern humans?
According to researchers, Dan genes have an impact on the immune system and skin pigment of modern humans, and even affect the overall health of humans.
With the development of science and technology, people have also made great progress in the study of genomes, especially in sequencing technology, which has given us a new understanding of the topic of human evolution.
Some scientists on the mainland have also participated in this research, and have also achieved some important research results.
So what kind of influence does the genes of the "Dan people" have on modern humans?
How did researchers prove that the genes of the "Dan Man" are in the genome of modern humans?
1. The discovery of the Dan people.
In 2010, scientists isolated a DNA different from modern humans from an ancient finger bone, and after studying this DNA, it was found that this DNA was related to both Neanderthals and Denisovans, so they called this DNA "Dan Man".
In 2012, scientists completed the genome sequencing of the "Dan Man" and found that the DNA of the "Dan Man" contained many genes that were not found in the DNA of modern humans, thus confirming that the "Dan Man" is a human species independent of modern humans.
In 2018, researchers re-examined the genome of the "Dan Man" and found that the genome of the Dan Man contains many genes that are the same as those in the modern human genome, which indicates that the genes of the "Dan Man" did not disappear as people think, but were integrated into the genome of modern humans over time.
The genes of "Dan people" do not account for a very large proportion of human beings now, only 1%~6%, and each person's genes will be different, which also makes the human genome appear more diverse.
Second, where are the genes of the Dan people.
By sequencing the genome of modern humans, the researchers finally found a genetic fragment that shares a common ancestor with the "Dan Man", which makes up a small proportion of the human genome, only 1%.
However, through the analysis of this gene, the researchers found that this gene is related to the "Dan people".
In addition, scientists have discovered a gene unique to the "Dan Man", which accounts for a negligible proportion of the modern human genome, only 0.5%.
Researchers have also analyzed this gene and found that the presence of this gene has an important impact on the immune system of modern humans, as well as on the overall health of humans.
3. The influence of Dan genes on humans.
Through the analysis of Dan genes, the researchers found that the "Dan people" gene is mainly found in populations in Europe and Asia, but it is very rare in people in Africa and Oceania, and even some people do not have "Dan" genes in their genomes at all.
Among Europeans, the genes of the Dan people are almost a household name, and among Asian people, the genes of the Dan people are also very common, which also proves that the Dan people have a lot of relationship with modern humans.
In addition, the researchers also found that Dan human genes are also closely related to human skin pigments.
In European people, because they live at high latitudes, the sun does not reach the body, so the skin pigment gradually becomes lighter so that it can absorb more sunlight and thus synthesize vitamin D.
In tropical areas, the skin pigment gradually darkens due to adequate sun exposure to prevent skin damage from sun exposure.
The researchers found that one of the Dan genes is related to human skin pigments, and this gene is also very common in modern humans, especially in people in Eurasia.
4. The effect of Dan genes on the human immune system.
Through the analysis of the Dan people's genes, the researchers found that the Dan people's genes are closely related to the human immune system, and this gene is also very common in modern humans.
This gene is able to help humans fight a virus that causes headaches in humans, and in addition, this gene can also help humans fight some specific diseases.
In the course of the study, the researchers also found that Dan genes may also cause some autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune disease is a very difficult disease to treat, which can cause the body's immune system to lose its protective function to some important organs of the body, leading to an inflammatory response and, in severe cases, damage to the body's organs.
The high incidence of the disease, especially in people across Eurasia, has led researchers to wonder if the "benefits" of this gene are real.
5. The importance of Dan genes.
In the process of studying the Dan genes, researchers also found that the Dan genes have important significance in the evolutionary history of human beings.
The existence of Dan genes means that in the early days, there was genetic exchange between Dan people and modern humans, which also made the human genome more diverse and more flexible.
Dan genes have an important impact on the human immune system and skin pigments, which further proves the importance of genes in human evolution and adaptation to the environment.
At the same time, researchers have also found that Dan genes can help humans fight some specific diseases, which also gives people a new understanding of Dan genes.
epilogue
The impact of Dan genes on human beings not only gives us a new understanding of human beings themselves, but also provides a new perspective for medical research.
The genetic differences between different human populations also make people wonder how different geographical environments shape human groups.