2023-07-28 07:02:48
Using modern statistical methods and neuronal networks, a team of researchers has discovered remnants of the DNA of a long-extinct lineage in the gorilla genome. The discovery of this so-called ghost population provides insights into the evolutionary history of the gorillas. He shows that such gene flow can also have functional implications. The study, with the participation of the University of Vienna, was recently published in the journal “Nature Ecology and Evolution”.
Gorillas are made up of two species, western and eastern gorillas, which in turn are made up of two other subspecies. The genome of individuals from all four subspecies was analyzed as part of the study. The scientists discovered that – as in modern humans – the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla, i.e. the eastern lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla, mixed up their DNA during evolution through mating with individuals from groups that are already extinct today.
“Up to three percent of the genome of today’s eastern gorillas carries remnants of genes from this ‘ghost population’, which separated from the common ancestor of all gorillas more than three million years ago,” explained evolutionary geneticist Martin Kuhlwilm of the University of Vienna in a broadcast.
So far, studies on the subject have been rare. The reason for this is that, unlike humans, there are few fossil remains from our closest relatives from which “old” DNA can be obtained for analysis, it said. This is of particular importance because the animals are threatened with extinction.
Among the samples were newly sequenced genomes of mountain gorillas from Bwindi National Park in Uganda, one of the only two places in the world where living specimens of the subspecies can be found.
Analyzing the genomes of individuals alive today is the only way to reconstruct the evolutionary history of gorillas. In addition, it is “important to understand the diversity of a species in order to maintain its diversity,” Kuhlwilm told APA. “The neural networks were a tool for better understanding.” They would have taken over the complex statistical analysis of the samples.
In addition to important insights into the evolutionary history of the endangered species, the results also show that the gene flow of such extinct ancestors can influence gene functions. According to them, a gene coding for a bitter taste receptor was introduced into modern-day eastern gorillas by the “ghost population”. This probably helps them to this day to avoid bitter-tasting food that may be poisonous. “The same applies to Neanderthal mutations that affect immune function in humans,” said Kuhlwilm of the APA. This is a pattern that certainly exists in many other species.
(S E R V I C E – Internet: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02145-2)
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