Ancient DNA Reveals Rapid Human Evolution After Farming
TL;DR
Harvard-led analysis of nearly 16,000 ancient West Eurasian genomes finds that natural selection accelerated over the last 10,000 years as farming reshaped populations. The study identified 479 gene variants repeatedly favored or opposed, influencing traits such as skin tone and hair color and linked to disease risk, illustrating how modern humans carry evolutionary legacies from agricultural transitions; the dataset is publicly available for broader research.
- Human Evolution Has Accelerated to Favour Traits Like Red Hair, Lower Body Fat: Study Ground News
- Ancient DNA reveals pervasive directional selection across West Eurasia Nature
- Massive Ancient-DNA Study Reveals Natural Selection Has Accelerated in Recent Human Evolution Harvard Medical School
- Red hair gene favoured by natural selection over last 10,000 years, study finds | Evolution The Guardian
- Nature Is Still Molding Human Genes, Study Finds The New York Times
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