51
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Ponomarenko M, Kleshchev M, Ponomarenko P, Chadaeva I, Sharypova E, Rasskazov D, Kolmykov S, Drachkova I, Vasiliev G, Gutorova N, Ignatieva E, Savinkova L, Bogomolov A, Osadchuk L, Osadchuk A, Oshchepkov D. Disruptive natural selection by male reproductive potential prevents underexpression of protein-coding genes on the human Y chromosome as a self-domestication syndrome. BMC Genet 2020; 21:89. [PMID: 33092533 PMCID: PMC7583315 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-020-00896-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In population ecology, the concept of reproductive potential denotes the most vital indicator of chances to produce and sustain a healthy descendant until his/her reproductive maturity under the best conditions. This concept links quality of life and longevity of an individual with disease susceptibilities encoded by his/her genome. Female reproductive potential has been investigated deeply, widely, and comprehensively in the past, but the male one has not received an equal amount of attention. Therefore, here we focused on the human Y chromosome and found candidate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers of male reproductive potential. Results Examining in silico (i.e., using our earlier created Web-service SNP_TATA_Z-tester) all 1206 unannotated SNPs within 70 bp proximal promoters of all 63 Y-linked genes, we found 261 possible male-reproductive-potential SNP markers that can significantly alter the binding affinity of TATA-binding protein (TBP) for these promoters. Among them, there are candidate SNP markers of spermatogenesis disorders (e.g., rs1402972626), pediatric cancer (e.g., rs1483581212) as well as male anxiety damaging family relationships and mother’s and children’s health (e.g., rs187456378). First of all, we selectively verified in vitro both absolute and relative values of the analyzed TBP–promoter affinity, whose Pearson’s coefficients of correlation between predicted and measured values were r = 0.84 (significance p < 0.025) and r = 0.98 (p < 0.025), respectively. Next, we found that there are twofold fewer candidate SNP markers decreasing TBP–promoter affinity relative to those increasing it, whereas in the genome-wide norm, SNP-induced damage to TBP–promoter complexes is fourfold more frequent than SNP-induced improvement (p < 0.05, binomial distribution). This means natural selection against underexpression of these genes. Meanwhile, the numbers of candidate SNP markers of an increase and decrease in male reproductive potential were indistinguishably equal to each other (p < 0.05) as if male self-domestication could have happened, with its experimentally known disruptive natural selection. Because there is still not enough scientific evidence that this could have happened, we discuss the human diseases associated with candidate SNP markers of male reproductive potential that may correspond to domestication-related disorders in pets. Conclusions Overall, our findings seem to support a self-domestication syndrome with disruptive natural selection by male reproductive potential preventing Y-linked underexpression of a protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Ponomarenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia. .,Novosibirsk State University, 1, Pirogova str., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
| | - Maxim Kleshchev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Petr Ponomarenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Irina Chadaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Sharypova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Dmitry Rasskazov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Semyon Kolmykov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Irina Drachkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Gennady Vasiliev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Natalia Gutorova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Elena Ignatieva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Ludmila Savinkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Anton Bogomolov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Ludmila Osadchuk
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Alexandr Osadchuk
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Dmitry Oshchepkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Lavrentyev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
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52
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Domestication Phenotype Linked to Vocal Behavior in Marmoset Monkeys. Curr Biol 2020; 30:5026-5032.e3. [PMID: 33065007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The domestication syndrome refers to a set of traits that are the by-products of artificial selection for increased tolerance toward humans [1-3]. One hypothesis is that some species, like humans and bonobos, "self-domesticated" and have been under selection for that same suite of domesticated phenotypes [4-8]. However, the evidence for this has been largely circumstantial. Here, we provide evidence that, in marmoset monkeys, the size of a domestication phenotype-a white facial fur patch-is linked to their degree of affiliative vocal responding. During development, the amount of parental vocal feedback experienced influences the rate of growth of this facial white patch, and this suggests a mechanistic link between the two phenotypes, possibly via neural crest cells. Our study provides evidence for links between vocal behavior and the development of morphological phenotypes associated with domestication in a nonhuman primate.
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53
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Bertolotti AC, Layer RM, Gundappa MK, Gallagher MD, Pehlivanoglu E, Nome T, Robledo D, Kent MP, Røsæg LL, Holen MM, Mulugeta TD, Ashton TJ, Hindar K, Sægrov H, Florø-Larsen B, Erkinaro J, Primmer CR, Bernatchez L, Martin SAM, Johnston IA, Sandve SR, Lien S, Macqueen DJ. The structural variation landscape in 492 Atlantic salmon genomes. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5176. [PMID: 33056985 PMCID: PMC7560756 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18972-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural variants (SVs) are a major source of genetic and phenotypic variation, but remain challenging to accurately type and are hence poorly characterized in most species. We present an approach for reliable SV discovery in non-model species using whole genome sequencing and report 15,483 high-confidence SVs in 492 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) sampled from a broad phylogeographic distribution. These SVs recover population genetic structure with high resolution, include an active DNA transposon, widely affect functional features, and overlap more duplicated genes retained from an ancestral salmonid autotetraploidization event than expected. Changes in SV allele frequency between wild and farmed fish indicate polygenic selection on behavioural traits during domestication, targeting brain-expressed synaptic networks linked to neurological disorders in humans. This study offers novel insights into the role of SVs in genome evolution and the genetic architecture of domestication traits, along with resources supporting reliable SV discovery in non-model species. This study presents and validates a novel approach to reliably identify structural variations (SVs) in non-model genomes using whole genome sequencing, which was used to detect 15,483 SVs in 492 Atlantic salmon, shedding light on their roles in genome evolution and the genetic architecture of domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia C Bertolotti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, UK.,The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ryan M Layer
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Manu Kumar Gundappa
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael D Gallagher
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ege Pehlivanoglu
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Torfinn Nome
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Diego Robledo
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Matthew P Kent
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Line L Røsæg
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Matilde M Holen
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Teshome D Mulugeta
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Kjetil Hindar
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Bjørn Florø-Larsen
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, 0106, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jaakko Erkinaro
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 413, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Institute for Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Pavillon Charles-Eugène Marchand, Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel A M Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Simen R Sandve
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Sigbjørn Lien
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Daniel J Macqueen
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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54
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Chirchir H. Trabecular bone in domestic dogs and wolves: Implications for understanding human self‐domestication. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:31-41. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.24510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Habiba Chirchir
- Department of Biological Sciences Marshall University Huntington West Virginia USA
- Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
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55
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56
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Del Savio L, Mameli M. Human domestication and the roles of human agency in human evolution. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 42:21. [PMID: 32458082 PMCID: PMC7250791 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-020-00315-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Are humans a domesticated species? How is this issue related to debates on the roles of human agency in human evolution? This article discusses four views on human domestication: (1) Darwin's view; (2) the view of those who link human domestication to anthropogenic niche construction and, more specifically, to sedentism; (3) the view of those who link human domestication to selection against aggression and the domestication syndrome; and (4) a novel view according to which human domestication can be conceived of in terms of a process of political selection. The article examines and compares these views to illustrate how discussions of human domestication can contribute to debates about how, and to what extent, human agency has affected human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matteo Mameli
- Department of Philosophy, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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57
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Hou Y, Qi F, Bai X, Ren T, Shen X, Chu Q, Zhang X, Lu X. Genome-wide analysis reveals molecular convergence underlying domestication in 7 bird and mammals. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:204. [PMID: 32131728 PMCID: PMC7057487 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6613-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In response to ecological niche of domestication, domesticated mammals and birds developed adaptively phenotypic homoplasy in behavior modifications like fearlessness, altered sociability, exploration and cognition, which partly or indirectly result in consequences for economic productivity. Such independent adaptations provide an excellent model to investigate molecular mechanisms and patterns of evolutionary convergence driven by artificial selection. Results First performing population genomic and brain transcriptional comparisons in 68 wild and domesticated chickens, we revealed evolutionary trajectories, genetic architectures and physiologic bases of adaptively behavioral alterations. To extensively decipher molecular convergence on behavioral changes thanks to domestication, we investigated selection signatures in hundreds of genomes and brain transcriptomes across chicken and 6 other domesticated mammals. Although no shared substitution was detected, a common enrichment of the adaptive mutations in regulatory sequences was observed, presenting significance to drive adaptations. Strong convergent pattern emerged at levels of gene, gene family, pathway and network. Genes implicated in neurotransmission, semaphorin, tectonic protein and modules regulating neuroplasticity were central focus of selection, supporting molecular repeatability of homoplastic behavior reshapes. Genes at nodal positions in trans-regulatory networks were preferably targeted. Consistent down-regulation of majority brain genes may be correlated with reduced brain size during domestication. Up-regulation of splicesome genes in chicken rather mammals highlights splicing as an efficient way to evolve since avian-specific genomic contraction of introns and intergenics. Genetic burden of domestication elicits a general hallmark. The commonly selected genes were relatively evolutionary conserved and associated with analogous neuropsychiatric disorders in human, revealing trade-off between adaption to life with human at the cost of neural changes affecting fitness in wild. Conclusions After a comprehensive investigation on genomic diversity and evolutionary trajectories in chickens, we revealed basis, pattern and evolutionary significance of molecular convergence in domesticated bird and mammals, highlighted the genetic basis of a compromise on utmost adaptation to the lives with human at the cost of high risk of neurophysiological changes affecting animals’ fitness in wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Hou
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China. .,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Furong Qi
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Bai
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Ren
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Shen
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Chu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiquan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xuemei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
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58
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Gleeson BT. Masculinity and the Mechanisms of Human Self-Domestication. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-00126-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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59
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Shilton D, Breski M, Dor D, Jablonka E. Human Social Evolution: Self-Domestication or Self-Control? Front Psychol 2020; 11:134. [PMID: 32116937 PMCID: PMC7033472 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-domestication hypothesis suggests that, like mammalian domesticates, humans have gone through a process of selection against aggression - a process that in the case of humans was self-induced. Here, we extend previous proposals and suggest that what underlies human social evolution is selection for socially mediated emotional control and plasticity. In the first part of the paper we highlight general features of human social evolution, which, we argue, is more similar to that of other social mammals than to that of mammalian domesticates and is therefore incompatible with the notion of human self-domestication. In the second part, we discuss the unique aspects of human evolution and propose that emotional control and social motivation in humans evolved during two major, partially overlapping stages. The first stage, which followed the emergence of mimetic communication, the beginnings of musical engagement, and mimesis-related cognition, required socially mediated emotional plasticity and was accompanied by new social emotions. The second stage followed the emergence of language, when individuals began to instruct the imagination of their interlocutors, and to rely even more extensively on emotional plasticity and culturally learned emotional control. This account further illustrates the significant differences between humans and domesticates, thus challenging the notion of human self-domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dor Shilton
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Mati Breski
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Dor
- The Department of Communication, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Eva Jablonka
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science (CPNSS), London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom
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60
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Barron AB, Hare B. Prosociality and a Sociosexual Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Attraction in Humans. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2955. [PMID: 32010022 PMCID: PMC6976918 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human same-sex sexual attraction (SSSA) has long been considered to be an evolutionary puzzle. The trait is clearly biological: it is widespread and has a strong additive genetic basis, but how SSSA has evolved remains a subject of debate. Of itself, homosexual sexual behavior will not yield offspring, and consequently individuals expressing strong SSSA that are mostly or exclusively homosexual are presumed to have lower fitness and reproductive success. How then did the trait evolve, and how is it maintained in populations? Here we develop a novel argument for the evolution of SSSA that focuses on the likely adaptive social consequences of SSSA. We argue that same sex sexual attraction evolved as just one of a suite of traits responding to strong selection for ease of social integration or prosocial behavior. A strong driver of recent human behavioral evolution has been selection for reduced reactive aggression, increased social affiliation, social communication, and ease of social integration. In many prosocial mammals sex has adopted new social functions in contexts of social bonding, social reinforcement, appeasement, and play. We argue that for humans the social functions and benefits of sex apply to same-sex sexual behavior as well as heterosexual behavior. As a consequence we propose a degree of SSSA, was selected for in recent human evolution for its non-conceptive social benefits. We discuss how this hypothesis provides a better explanation for human sexual attractions and behavior than theories that invoke sexual inversion or single-locus genetic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B. Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brian Hare
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Center for Cognitive Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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61
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Glutamate receptors in domestication and modern human evolution. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:341-357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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62
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Benítez-Burraco A. Genes Positively Selected in Domesticated Mammals Are Significantly Dysregulated in the Blood of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Mol Syndromol 2020; 10:306-312. [PMID: 32021604 PMCID: PMC6995977 DOI: 10.1159/000505116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human self-domestication (i.e., the presence of traits in our species that are commonly found in domesticated animals) has been hypothesized to have contributed to the emergence of many human-specific features, including aspects of our cognition and behavior. Signs of self-domestication have been claimed to be attenuated in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), this conceivably accounting for facets of their distinctive cognitive and behavioral profile, although this possibility needs to be properly tested. In this study, we have found that candidate genes for mammal domestication, but not for neural crest development and function, are significantly dysregulated in the blood of subjects with ASD. The set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) is enriched in biological and molecular processes, as well as in pathological phenotypes, of relevance for the etiology of ASD, like lipid metabolism, cell apoptosis, the activity of the insulin-like growth factor, gene expression regulation, skin/hair anomalies, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and hearing impairment. Moreover, among the DEGs, there are known candidates for ASD and/or genes involved in biological processes known to be affected in ASD. Our findings give support to the view that one important aspect of the etiopathogenesis of ASD is the abnormal manifestation of features of human self-domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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63
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Progovac L, Benítez-Burraco A. From Physical Aggression to Verbal Behavior: Language Evolution and Self-Domestication Feedback Loop. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2807. [PMID: 31920850 PMCID: PMC6930236 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We propose that human self-domestication favored the emergence of a less aggressive phenotype in our species, more precisely phenotype prone to replace (reactive) physical aggression with verbal aggression. In turn, the (gradual) transition to verbal aggression and to more sophisticated forms of verbal behavior favored self-domestication, with the two processes engaged in a mutually reinforcing feedback loop, considering that verbal behavior entails not only less violence and better survival but also more opportunities to interact longer and socialize with more conspecifics, ultimately enabling the emergence of more complex forms of language. Whereas in the case of self-domestication, sexual selection has been proposed to work against physical aggression traits, in the case of verbal insult, the selection has been proposed to work in favor of verbal aggression. The tension between these two seemingly opposing forces gets resolved/alleviated by a tendency to replace physical aggression with verbal aggression and with verbal behavior more generally. This also helps solve the paradox of the Self-Domestication Hypothesis regarding aggression, more precisely why aggression in humans has been reduced only when it comes to reactive aggression, but not when it comes to proactive aggression, the latter exhibiting an increase in the advent of modern language. We postulate that this feedback loop was particularly important during the time period arguably between 200 and 50 kya, when humans were not fully modern, neither in terms of their skull/brain morphology and their behavior/culture nor in terms of their self-domestication. The novelty of our approach lies in (1) giving an active role to early forms of language in interacting with self-domestication processes; (2) providing specific linguistic details and functions of this early stage of grammar (including insult and humor); (3) supplying neurobiological, ontogenetic, and clinical evidence of a link between (reactive) aggression and (reactive) verbal behavior; (4) identifying proxies of the earlier stages in evolution among cognitive disorders; and (5) identifying specific points of contact and mutual reinforcement between these two processes (self-domestication and early language evolution), including reduction in physical aggression and stress/tension, as well as sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljiljana Progovac
- Linguistics Program, Department of English, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish Language, Linguistics and Literary Theory (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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64
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Oshchepkov D, Ponomarenko M, Klimova N, Chadaeva I, Bragin A, Sharypova E, Shikhevich S, Kozhemyakina R. A Rat Model of Human Behavior Provides Evidence of Natural Selection Against Underexpression of Aggressiveness-Related Genes in Humans. Front Genet 2019; 10:1267. [PMID: 31921305 PMCID: PMC6923764 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressiveness is a hereditary behavioral pattern that forms a social hierarchy and affects the individual social rank and accordingly quality and duration of life. Thus, genome-wide studies of human aggressiveness are important. Nonetheless, the aggressiveness-related genome-wide studies have been conducted on animals rather than humans. Recently, in our genome-wide study, we uncovered natural selection against underexpression of human aggressiveness-related genes and proved it using F1 hybrid mice. Simultaneously, this natural selection equally supports two opposing traits in humans (dominance and subordination) as if self-domestication could have happened with its disruptive natural selection. Because there is still not enough scientific evidence that this could happen, here, we verified this natural selection pattern using quantitative PCR and two outbred rat lines (70 generations of artificial selection for aggressiveness or tameness, hereinafter: domestication). We chose seven genes—Cacna2d3, Gad2, Gria2, Mapk1, Nos1, Pomc, and Syn1—over- or underexpression of which corresponds to aggressive or domesticated behavior (in humans or mice) that has the same direction as natural selection. Comparing aggressive male rats with domesticated ones, we found that these genes are overexpressed statistically significantly in the hypothalamus (as a universal behavior regulator), not in the periaqueductal gray, where there was no aggressiveness-related expression of the genes in males. Database STRING showed statistically significant associations of the human genes homologous to these rat genes with long-term depression, circadian entrainment, Alzheimer’s disease, and the central nervous system disorders during chronic IL-6 overexpression. This finding more likely supports positive perspectives of further studies on self-domestication syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Oshchepkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail Ponomarenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Natalya Klimova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Irina Chadaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anatoly Bragin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Sharypova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana Shikhevich
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Rimma Kozhemyakina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
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65
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McHugo GP, Dover MJ, MacHugh DE. Unlocking the origins and biology of domestic animals using ancient DNA and paleogenomics. BMC Biol 2019; 17:98. [PMID: 31791340 PMCID: PMC6889691 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0724-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal domestication has fascinated biologists since Charles Darwin first drew the parallel between evolution via natural selection and human-mediated breeding of livestock and companion animals. In this review we show how studies of ancient DNA from domestic animals and their wild progenitors and congeners have shed new light on the genetic origins of domesticates, and on the process of domestication itself. High-resolution paleogenomic data sets now provide unprecedented opportunities to explore the development of animal agriculture across the world. In addition, functional population genomics studies of domestic and wild animals can deliver comparative information useful for understanding recent human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian P McHugo
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Michael J Dover
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - David E MacHugh
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
- UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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66
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Gering E, Incorvaia D, Henriksen R, Conner J, Getty T, Wright D. Getting Back to Nature: Feralization in Animals and Plants. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:1137-1151. [PMID: 31488326 PMCID: PMC7479514 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Formerly domesticated organisms and artificially selected genes often escape controlled cultivation, but their subsequent evolution is not well studied. In this review, we examine plant and animal feralization through an evolutionary lens, including how natural selection, artificial selection, and gene flow shape feral genomes, traits, and fitness. Available evidence shows that feralization is not a mere reversal of domestication. Instead, it is shaped by the varied and complex histories of feral populations, and by novel selection pressures. To stimulate further insight we outline several future directions. These include testing how 'domestication genes' act in wild settings, studying the brains and behaviors of feral animals, and comparative analyses of feral populations and taxa. This work offers feasible and exciting research opportunities with both theoretical and practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eben Gering
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Davie, FL, USA.
| | - Darren Incorvaia
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Rie Henriksen
- IIFM Biology and AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey Conner
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Kellogg Biological Station and Dept. of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - Thomas Getty
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Dominic Wright
- IIFM Biology and AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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67
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Zanella M, Vitriolo A, Andirko A, Martins PT, Sturm S, O’Rourke T, Laugsch M, Malerba N, Skaros A, Trattaro S, Germain PL, Mihailovic M, Merla G, Rada-Iglesias A, Boeckx C, Testa G. Dosage analysis of the 7q11.23 Williams region identifies BAZ1B as a major human gene patterning the modern human face and underlying self-domestication. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw7908. [PMID: 31840056 PMCID: PMC6892627 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw7908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We undertook a functional dissection of chromatin remodeler BAZ1B in neural crest (NC) stem cells (NCSCs) from a uniquely informative cohort of typical and atypical patients harboring 7q11.23 copy number variants. Our results reveal a key contribution of BAZ1B to NCSC in vitro induction and migration, coupled with a crucial involvement in NC-specific transcriptional circuits and distal regulation. By intersecting our experimental data with new paleogenetic analyses comparing modern and archaic humans, we found a modern-specific enrichment for regulatory changes both in BAZ1B and its experimentally defined downstream targets, thereby providing the first empirical validation of the human self-domestication hypothesis and positioning BAZ1B as a master regulator of the modern human face. In so doing, we provide experimental evidence that the craniofacial and cognitive/behavioral phenotypes caused by alterations of the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region can serve as a powerful entry point into the evolution of the modern human face and prosociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Zanella
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vitriolo
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alejandro Andirko
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Tiago Martins
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefanie Sturm
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas O’Rourke
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magdalena Laugsch
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natascia Malerba
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Adrianos Skaros
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Trattaro
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Pierre-Luc Germain
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- D-HEST Institute for Neuroscience, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marija Mihailovic
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merla
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Alvaro Rada-Iglesias
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria, University of Cantabria, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Human Technopole, Center for Neurogenomics, Via Cristina Belgioioso 171, Milan, Italy
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68
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Aamodt CM, Farias-Virgens M, White SA. Birdsong as a window into language origins and evolutionary neuroscience. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20190060. [PMID: 31735151 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and songbirds share the key trait of vocal learning, manifested in speech and song, respectively. Striking analogies between these behaviours include that both are acquired during developmental critical periods when the brain's ability for vocal learning peaks. Both behaviours show similarities in the overall architecture of their underlying brain areas, characterized by cortico-striato-thalamic loops and direct projections from cortical neurons onto brainstem motor neurons that control the vocal organs. These neural analogies extend to the molecular level, with certain song control regions sharing convergent transcriptional profiles with speech-related regions in the human brain. This evolutionary convergence offers an unprecedented opportunity to decipher the shared neurogenetic underpinnings of vocal learning. A key strength of the songbird model is that it allows for the delineation of activity-dependent transcriptional changes in the brain that are driven by learned vocal behaviour. To capitalize on this advantage, we used previously published datasets from our laboratory that correlate gene co-expression networks to features of learned vocalization within and after critical period closure to probe the functional relevance of genes implicated in language. We interrogate specific genes and cellular processes through converging lines of evidence: human-specific evolutionary changes, intelligence-related phenotypes and relevance to vocal learning gene co-expression in songbirds. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Aamodt
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Madza Farias-Virgens
- Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Stephanie A White
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA.,Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA.,Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
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69
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Baumgartner M, Drake K, Kanadia RN. An Integrated Model of Minor Intron Emergence and Conservation. Front Genet 2019; 10:1113. [PMID: 31798628 PMCID: PMC6865273 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Minor introns constitute <0.5% of the introns in the human genome and have remained an enigma since their discovery. These introns are removed by a distinct splicing complex, the minor spliceosome. Both are ancient, tracing back to the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA), which is reflected by minor intron enrichment in specific gene families, such as the mitogen activated-protein kinase kinases, voltage-gated sodium and calcium ion channels, and E2F transcription factors. Most minor introns occur as single introns in genes with predominantly major introns. Due to this organization, minor intron-containing gene (MIG) expression requires the coordinated action of two spliceosomes, which increases the probability of missplicing. Thus, one would expect loss of minor introns via purifying selection. This has resulted in complete minor intron loss in at least nine eukaryotic lineages. However, minor introns are highly conserved in land plants and metazoans, where their importance is underscored by embryonic lethality when the minor spliceosome is inactivated. Conditional inactivation of the minor spliceosome has shown that rapidly dividing progenitor cells are highly sensitive to minor spliceosome loss. Indeed, we found that MIGs were significantly enriched in a screen for genes essential for survival in 341 cycling cell lines. Here, we propose that minor introns inserted randomly into genes in LECA or earlier and were subsequently conserved in genes crucial for cycling cell survival. We hypothesize that the essentiality of MIGs allowed minor introns to endure through the unicellularity of early eukaryotic evolution. Moreover, we identified 59 MIGs that emerged after LECA, and that many of these are essential for cycling cell survival, reinforcing our essentiality model for MIG conservation. This suggests that minor intron emergence is dynamic across eukaryotic evolution, and that minor introns should not be viewed as molecular fossils. We also posit that minor intron splicing was co-opted in multicellular evolution as a regulatory switch for en masse control of MIG expression and the biological processes they regulate. Specifically, this mode of regulation could control cell proliferation and thus body size, an idea supported by domestication syndrome, wherein MIGs are enriched in common candidate animal domestication genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marybeth Baumgartner
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States.,Institute of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States
| | - Kyle Drake
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States
| | - Rahul N Kanadia
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States.,Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States
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70
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Human Self-Domestication and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis of Addiction: How Humans Evolved a Unique Vulnerability. Neuroscience 2019; 419:100-107. [PMID: 31654715 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Humans are more vulnerable to addiction in comparison to all other mammals, including nonhuman primates, yet there is a lack of research addressing this. This paper reviews the field of comparative addiction neuroscience, highlighting the significant inter-species variation in the mesocortical dopaminergic and other neuromodulatory systems involved in addiction. Artificial selection gives rise to significant changes in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and behaviour as shown in certain rodent strains and other domesticated animals. These changes occur over a few generations, relatively short periods of time in evolutionary terms, and demonstrate how dynamic these neuromodulatory systems are in response to the environment. During the course of human evolution, traits crucial to our survival, expansion and domination (traits such as the ability to innovate, adapt to different environments and thrive in a civilization) have been positively selected for, yet also predispose humans to addiction. This is evident in our unique neurochemistry and receptor-drug activation potencies. Examples of these are provided as possible targets for precision medicine.
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71
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Wrangham RW. Hypotheses for the Evolution of Reduced Reactive Aggression in the Context of Human Self-Domestication. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1914. [PMID: 31481917 PMCID: PMC6710405 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Parallels in anatomy between humans and domesticated mammals suggest that for the last 300,000 years, Homo sapiens has experienced more intense selection against the propensity for reactive aggression than other species of Homo. Selection against reactive aggression, a process that can also be called self-domestication, would help explain various physiological, behavioral, and cognitive features of humans, including the unique system of egalitarian male hierarchy in mobile hunter-gatherers. Here I review nine leading proposals for the occurrence of self-domestication in H. sapiens. To account for the domestication syndrome, proposals must explain what led to a decline in fitness of highly aggressive males, and why the explanatory factor applies only to H. sapiens and not to other species of Homo. The proposed explanations invoke genetic group selection; group-structured culture selection (also known as cultural group selection); social selection by female mate choice; social selection by male partner choice; increased self-control; cooperative breeding; high population density; use of lethal weapons; and language-based conspiracy. Most of these proposals face difficulties in accounting for the origins and/or maintenance of reduced reactive aggression. I conclude that the evolution of language-based conspiracy, which is a form of collective intentionality, was the key factor initiating and maintaining self-domestication in H. sapiens, because it is the most convincing mechanism for explaining the selective pressure against individually powerful fighters. Sophisticated language enabled males of low fighting prowess to cooperatively plan the execution of physically aggressive and domineering alpha males. This system is known today as a leveling mechanism in small-scale societies. Group-structured culture selection possibly accelerated the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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72
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Gering E, Incorvaia D, Henriksen R, Wright D, Getty T. Maladaptation in feral and domesticated animals. Evol Appl 2019; 12:1274-1286. [PMID: 31417614 PMCID: PMC6691326 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection regimes and population structures can be powerfully changed by domestication and feralization, and these changes can modulate animal fitness in both captive and natural environments. In this review, we synthesize recent studies of these two processes and consider their impacts on organismal and population fitness. Domestication and feralization offer multiple windows into the forms and mechanisms of maladaptation. Firstly, domestic and feral organisms that exhibit suboptimal traits or fitness allow us to identify their underlying causes within tractable research systems. This has facilitated significant progress in our general understandings of genotype-phenotype relationships, fitness trade-offs, and the roles of population structure and artificial selection in shaping domestic and formerly domestic organisms. Additionally, feralization of artificially selected gene variants and organisms can reveal or produce maladaptation in other inhabitants of an invaded biotic community. In these instances, feral animals often show similar fitness advantages to other invasive species, but they are also unique in their capacities to modify natural ecosystems through introductions of artificially selected traits. We conclude with a brief consideration of how emerging technologies such as genome editing could change the tempos, trajectories, and ecological consequences of both domestication and feralization. In addition to providing basic evolutionary insights, our growing understanding of mechanisms through which artificial selection can modulate fitness has diverse and important applications-from enhancing the welfare, sustainability, and efficiency of agroindustry, to mitigating biotic invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eben Gering
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichigan
| | - Darren Incorvaia
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichigan
| | - Rie Henriksen
- IIFM Biology and AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology GroupLinköping UniversitySweden
| | - Dominic Wright
- IIFM Biology and AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology GroupLinköping UniversitySweden
| | - Thomas Getty
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichigan
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73
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Murphy E. No Country for Oldowan Men: Emerging Factors in Language Evolution. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1448. [PMID: 31275219 PMCID: PMC6594215 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Language evolution has long been researched. I will review a number of broad, emerging research directions which arguably have the potential to contribute to our understanding of language evolution. Emerging topics in genomics and neurolinguistics are explored, and human-specific levels of braincase globularity - and the broader process of self-domestication within which globularity seems capable of being encapsulated - will be argued to be the central pillars of any satisfactory and interdisciplinary model of language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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74
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Williams Syndrome, Human Self-Domestication, and Language Evolution. Front Psychol 2019; 10:521. [PMID: 30936846 PMCID: PMC6431629 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Language evolution resulted from changes in our biology, behavior, and culture. One source of these changes might be human self-domestication. Williams syndrome (WS) is a clinical condition with a clearly defined genetic basis which results in a distinctive behavioral and cognitive profile, including enhanced sociability. In this paper we show evidence that the WS phenotype can be satisfactorily construed as a hyper-domesticated human phenotype, plausibly resulting from the effect of the WS hemideletion on selected candidates for domestication and neural crest (NC) function. Specifically, we show that genes involved in animal domestication and NC development and function are significantly dysregulated in the blood of subjects with WS. We also discuss the consequences of this link between domestication and WS for our current understanding of language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Niego
- Ph.D. Program, Faculty of Humanities, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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75
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Facial masculinity does not appear to be a condition-dependent male ornament and does not reflect MHC heterozygosity in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1633-1638. [PMID: 30647112 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1808659116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have called into question the idea that facial masculinity is a condition-dependent male ornament that indicates immunocompetence in humans. We add to this growing body of research by calculating an objective measure of facial masculinity/femininity using 3D images in a large sample (n = 1,233) of people of European ancestry. We show that facial masculinity is positively correlated with adult height in both males and females. However, facial masculinity scales with growth similarly in males and females, suggesting that facial masculinity is not exclusively a male ornament, as male ornaments are typically more sensitive to growth in males compared with females. Additionally, we measured immunocompetence via heterozygosity at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a widely-used genetic marker of immunity. We show that, while height is positively correlated with MHC heterozygosity, facial masculinity is not. Thus, facial masculinity does not reflect immunocompetence measured by MHC heterozygosity in humans. Overall, we find no support for the idea that facial masculinity is a condition-dependent male ornament that has evolved to indicate immunocompetence.
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76
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Nadal M, Chatterjee A. Neuroaesthetics and art's diversity and universality. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2018; 10:e1487. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Nadal
- Department of Psychology University of the Balearic Islands Palma de Mallorca Spain
| | - Anjan Chatterjee
- Department of Neurology University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania
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77
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Kondrakiewicz K, Kostecki M, Szadzińska W, Knapska E. Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12525. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences; Warsaw Poland
| | - Mateusz Kostecki
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences; Warsaw Poland
| | - Weronika Szadzińska
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences; Warsaw Poland
| | - Ewelina Knapska
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences; Warsaw Poland
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Theofanopoulou C, Gastaldon S, O'Rourke T, Samuels BD, Martins PT, Delogu F, Alamri S, Boeckx C. Correction: Self-domestication in Homo sapiens: Insights from comparative genomics. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196700. [PMID: 29750793 PMCID: PMC5947885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Putilov AA, Dorokhov VB, Puchkova AN, Arsenyev GN, Sveshnikov DS. Genetic-based signatures of the latitudinal differences in chronotype. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2018.1465249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arcady A. Putilov
- Research Group for Math-Modeling of Biomedical Systems, The Research Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir B. Dorokhov
- Laboratory of Sleep/Wake Neurobiology, the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexandra N. Puchkova
- Laboratory of Sleep/Wake Neurobiology, the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Cognition and Communication, Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, Moscow, Russia
| | - Gleb N. Arsenyev
- Laboratory of Sleep/Wake Neurobiology, the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry S. Sveshnikov
- Department of Normal Physiology, Medical Institute, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia
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80
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Benítez-Burraco A, Kempe V. The Emergence of Modern Languages: Has Human Self-Domestication Optimized Language Transmission? Front Psychol 2018; 9:551. [PMID: 29719524 PMCID: PMC5914278 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Vera Kempe
- Division of Psychology, School of Social and Health Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Two major types of aggression, proactive and reactive, are associated with contrasting expression, eliciting factors, neural pathways, development, and function. The distinction is useful for understanding the nature and evolution of human aggression. Compared with many primates, humans have a high propensity for proactive aggression, a trait shared with chimpanzees but not bonobos. By contrast, humans have a low propensity for reactive aggression compared with chimpanzees, and in this respect humans are more bonobo-like. The bimodal classification of human aggression helps solve two important puzzles. First, a long-standing debate about the significance of aggression in human nature is misconceived, because both positions are partly correct. The Hobbes-Huxley position rightly recognizes the high potential for proactive violence, while the Rousseau-Kropotkin position correctly notes the low frequency of reactive aggression. Second, the occurrence of two major types of human aggression solves the execution paradox, concerned with the hypothesized effects of capital punishment on self-domestication in the Pleistocene. The puzzle is that the propensity for aggressive behavior was supposedly reduced as a result of being selected against by capital punishment, but capital punishment is itself an aggressive behavior. Since the aggression used by executioners is proactive, the execution paradox is solved to the extent that the aggressive behavior of which victims were accused was frequently reactive, as has been reported. Both types of killing are important in humans, although proactive killing appears to be typically more frequent in war. The biology of proactive aggression is less well known and merits increased attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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82
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Putilov AA, Dorokhov VB, Poluektov MG. How have our clocks evolved? Adaptive and demographic history of the out-of-African dispersal told by polymorphic loci in circadian genes. Chronobiol Int 2017; 35:511-532. [DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2017.1417314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arcady A. Putilov
- Research Group for Math-Modeling of Biomedical Systems, the Research Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir B. Dorokhov
- Laboratory of Sleep/Wake Neurobiology, The Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Michael G. Poluektov
- Department of Nervous Diseases, Institute of Professional Education, I.M. Sechenov 1-st Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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