Gene-culture coevolution between cattle milk protein genes and human lactase genes

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2003

Authors

beja-pereira, a (Author) FCUP; luikart, g (Author) Other; england, pr (Author) Other; bradley, dg (Author) Other; jann, oc (Author) Other; bertorelle, g (Author) Other; chamberlain, at (Author) Other; nunes, tp (Author) Other; metodiev, s (Author) Other; ferrand, n (Author) FCUP; erhardt, g (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Nature Genetics

Vol. 35

Pages: 311-313

ISSN: 1061-4036

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 202 Citations

Scopus - 257 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-EBM

DOI: 10.1038/ng1263

Abstract (EN): Milk from domestic cows has been a valuable food source for over 8,000 years, especially in lactose-tolerant human societies that exploit dairy breeds. We studied geographic patterns of variation in genes encoding the six most important milk proteins in 70 native European cattle breeds. We found substantial geographic coincidence between high diversity in cattle milk genes, locations of the European Neolithic cattle farming sites (>5,000 years ago) and present-day lactose tolerance in Europeans. This suggests a gene-culture coevolution between cattle and humans.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific