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By analyzing ancient DNA, researchers have uncovered a potential explanation for the elevated rates of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease in Europe.
Scientists examined the skeletal remains and dental records of approximately 5,000 individuals who resided in western Europe and Asia over 34,000 years ago. As a result, they have established the most extensive collection of genetic data from ancient humans.
Using ancient human DNA and modern samples, researchers were able to track the movement of genes and diseases throughout history as populations migrated.
The findings have been released in four research articles featured in the journal Nature, revealing fresh insights into debilitating conditions.
The results reveal the causes of neurodegenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis, and provide insight into the discrepancy in height between northern Europeans and those from southern Europe.
Additional findings indicate that possessing the MS gene was beneficial in ancient times, as it served as a safeguard against contracting contagious illnesses from livestock, such as sheep and cattle.
The origins of certain genes that increase the likelihood of developing conditions like Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes can be traced back to hunter-gatherer populations.
Scientists are anticipating that further examination will provide insight into the genetic indicators of conditions such as autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Demonstrating the influence of our predecessors’ lifestyles on the likelihood of developing modern diseases only emphasizes how we are influenced by ancestral immune systems in today’s society.
Using DNA analysis on bones and teeth from museum collections in Europe and western Asia, the researchers were able to create profiles from the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras all the way through the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Viking period, and Middle Ages.
The researchers analyzed genetic information from 1,664 ancient skeletons and compared it with DNA from 400,000 individuals currently residing in Britain, which was obtained from the UK Biobank.
The most ancient genetic information in the data collection is from a person who existed approximately 34,000 years ago.
The results reveal fresh insights on human height – individuals from north-western Europe tend to be taller than those from southern Europe in modern times.
Based on the study, a genetic inclination towards height may have originated from the Yamnaya population, a group of livestock herders who moved from the Pontic Steppe to northwestern Europe.
A different discovery indicates that the likelihood of disease is impacted by the amount of DNA inherited from ancient populations who migrated across Eurasia following the last Ice Age.
For instance, individuals from north-western Europe have a higher genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis, while those from eastern Europe are more likely to have a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.
DNA analysis of the prehistoric inhabitants of Eurasia revealed that lactose tolerance – the ability to digest the sugar in milk and other dairy products – emerged in Europe around 6,000 years ago, while the ability to better survive on a vegetable-rich diet was written into Europeans’ genes by the dawn of the Neolithic Age, some 5,900 years ago.
In a third publication in the journal Nature, the scientists demonstrate that the genetic variations among ancient populations in western Eurasia were significantly greater than previously thought, surpassing those seen in modern populations.
Researchers have found that the prevalence of MS is highest in northern Europe compared to other regions in the world.
Recent research has identified specific genes that greatly heighten an individual’s chances of developing MS. These genes were brought into north-western Europe approximately 5,000 years ago by migrating sheep and cattle herders from the east.
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The findings were astonishing to everyone. They offer a significant advancement in our comprehension of the development of MS and other autoimmune disorders.
“These findings were incredibly surprising to all of us,” stated Dr. William Barrie, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology and co-author of the paper.
These findings greatly advance our comprehension of the development of MS and other autoimmune disorders.
The correlation between the lifestyles of our predecessors and the risk of modern diseases emphasizes the influence of our ancient immune systems in today’s society.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition where the body’s immune system erroneously targets the protective covering of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to neurodegeneration.
Dr. Lars Fugger, a consultant physician at John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford and co-author of the study on MS, stated: “We now have the ability to comprehend and address MS for what it truly is – a genetic response to specific environmental conditions that originated in our prehistoric past.”
Researchers mapped the geographical diffusion of MS from its beginnings in the Pontic Steppe, which covers areas of present-day Ukraine, southwest Russia, and the West Kazakhstan region.
They discovered that the genetic variations linked to an increased likelihood of developing MS were present among the Yamnaya population.
The results of the study offer insight into the reason for the North-South Gradient, which shows a higher number of MS cases in northern Europe compared to southern Europe.
A group of 175 researchers from various countries, led by Professor Eske Willerslev from the Universities of Cambridge and Copenhagen, Professor Thomas Werge from the University of Copenhagen, and Professor Rasmus Nielsen from the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a study together.
This article is from the Independent website.
This piece originates from the Independent’s online platform.
