McQuillan Michael A, Zhang Chao, Tishkoff Sarah A, Platt Alexander
Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2020 Jun;62:30-35. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.037. Epub 2020 Jun 27.
For many traits, human variation is less a matter of categorical differences than quantitative variation, such as height, where individuals fall along a continuum from short to tall. Most recent studies utilize large population-based samples with whole-genome sequences to study the evolution of these traits and have made significant progress implementing a broad spectrum of techniques. However, relatively few studies of quantitative trait evolution include ethnically diverse populations, which often harbor the highest levels of genetic and phenotypic diversity. Thus, our ability to draw inferences about quantitative trait adaptation has been limited. Here, we review recent studies examining human quantitative trait adaptation, and argue that including ethnically diverse populations, particularly from Africa, will be especially informative for our understanding of how humans adapt to the world around them.
对于许多性状而言，人类变异更多地是数量上的差异，而非类别上的差异，比如身高，个体从矮到高呈连续分布。最近的大多数研究利用基于大规模人群的全基因组序列样本，来研究这些性状的进化，并在运用一系列广泛的技术方面取得了重大进展。然而，相对较少的关于数量性状进化的研究纳入了种族多样化的人群，而这些人群往往拥有最高水平的遗传和表型多样性。因此，我们推断数量性状适应性的能力一直受到限制。在这里，我们回顾了最近关于人类数量性状适应性的研究，并认为纳入种族多样化的人群，尤其是来自非洲的人群，对于我们理解人类如何适应周围的世界将特别有帮助。
