Evolutionary Responses to a Constructed Niche: Ancient Mesoamericans as a Model of Gene-Culture Coevolution

Hünemeier, Tábita; Amorim, Carlos Eduardo Guerra; Azevedo, Soledad; Contini, Veronica; Acuña-Alonzo, Víctor; Rothhammer, Francisco; Dugoujon, Jean-Michel; Mazières, Stephane; Barrantes, Ramiro; Villarreal-Molina, María Teresa; Paixão-Côrtes, Vanessa Rodrigues; Salzano, Francisco M.; Canizales-Quinteros, Samuel; Ruiz-Linares, Andres; Bortolini, Maria Cátira

Multiple independent mutations have been associated with this characteristic, some of which are located in an intron of the MCM6 gene, a region fundamental to lactase expression [5, 14] . The alleles that led to lactose persistence in Europe, such as MCM6 13,910*T, first underwent selection among dairying farmers around 7,500 years ago, possibly in association with the dissemination of the Neolithic Linearbandkeramik culture over Central Europe [13] . The high copy number variation of the amylase gene and the spread of the corresponding alleles in agricultural societies are another well-studied example [7, 8, 11, 15, 16] . Additionally, the West African Kwa-speaking agriculturalists cut and clear the forest to grow yams, increasing the amount of standing water after rain, therefore providing better breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes [1] favoring the HbS allele, which confers protection against malaria in heterozygous individuals [17] .