Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 Sep 9;309(5741):1720-2.
doi: 10.1126/science.1116815.

Ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM, a brain size determinant in Homo sapiens

Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov  1 , Sandra L Gilbert, Patrick D Evans, Eric J Vallender, Jeffrey R Anderson, Richard R Hudson, Sarah A Tishkoff, Bruce T Lahn
Affiliations
Free article

Ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM, a brain size determinant in Homo sapiens

Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov et al. Science. .
Free article

Abstract

The gene ASPM (abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated) is a specific regulator of brain size, and its evolution in the lineage leading to Homo sapiens was driven by strong positive selection. Here, we show that one genetic variant of ASPM in humans arose merely about 5800 years ago and has since swept to high frequency under strong positive selection. These findings, especially the remarkably young age of the positively selected variant, suggest that the human brain is still undergoing rapid adaptive evolution.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

Publication types

MeSH terms