The Columbian Exchange as a source of adaptive introgression in human populations.

摘要: The term “Columbian Exchange” refers to the massive transfer of life between Afro-Eurasian and American hemispheres that was precipitated by Columbus’ voyage New World. Columbian Exchange is widely appreciated historians, social scientists economists as a major turning point had profound lasting effects on trajectory human history development. I propose should also be biologists for its role in creation novel genomes have been shaped rapid adaptive evolution. Specifically, hypothesize process genome evolution stimulated based part selective sweeps introgressed haplotypes from ancestral populations, many which possessed pre-evolved utility regional-specific fitness health effects. Testing this hypothesis will require comparative analysis sequences putative source with modern admixed order identify ancestry-specific exist at higher frequencies populations than can expected chance alone. Investigation such ancestry-enriched genomic regions used provide clues functional roles genes therein forces acted increase their frequency population. Critical interrogation could serve underscore important introgression alleles driver evolutionary change, it would highlight admixture facilitating This article reviewed Frank Eisenhaber, Lakshminarayan Iyer Igor B. Rogozin