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Ancient genomic reconstruction of convergent evolution to agriculture

Descrizione del progetto

Genomica delle popolazioni antiche per ricostruire le circostanze evolutive generali

In che modo i processi evolutivi si sono differenziati tra le regioni durante la transizione agricola? Quali adattamenti genomici erano associati alla transizione agricola verso i 10 000 anni fa? L’adattamento a stili di vita di cacciatori-raccoglitori e agricoltori ha agito su architetture genetiche simili in casi differenti? A che livello l’adattamento dei cani domestici, l’unica specie addomesticata prima della transizione agricola, è avvenuto in modo convergente con gli esseri umani? Il progetto AGRICON, finanziato dall’UE, risponderà a tali domande. Esso studierà la genomica delle popolazioni antiche per ricostruire le circostanze evolutive generali che caratterizzano le popolazioni umane che vivevano in continenti diversi. Il progetto elaborerà nuovi metodi computazionali per identificare commistioni adattive, analizzare la variazione del numero di copie, testare modelli di popolazione costanti e valutare statisticamente la convergenza nell’architettura genomica di adattamento.

Obiettivo

As global climates warmed ca. 10,000 years ago came a remarkable convergent transformation of human lifestyles that occurred independently in multiple continents and human populations. This transition from hunter-gatherer subsistence to food-production catalysed large-scale population growth, offering the opportunity for increased rates of adaptation, but also rapidly presented a large number of independent human populations with a new evolutionary challenge. This project will use ancient population genomics—the only way to directly reconstruct human genetic evolution—to study whether evolutionary processes during the agricultural transition differed in differed regions. Which genomic adaptations were associated with the agricultural transition? Did adaptation to hunter-gatherer and agricultural lifestyles act on similar genetic architecture in different instances? To which extent did adaptation in domestic dogs—the only species domesticated prior to the agricultural transition—occur in convergence with humans? To answer these questions, the project will generate ancient genomic data from pre-agricultural and early agricultural populations from multiple human- and domestic dog populations from Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia. This will be achieved with direct sequencing as well as a new human ~850,000 SNP capture panel designed to avoid bias towards Eurasian ancestry. We will also develop new computational methods robust to the challenges posed by ancient genomes to identify adaptive admixture, analyse copy number variation, test continuous population models, and statistically assess convergence in the genomic architecture of adaptation. Leveraging cutting-edge ancient genomics and two model organisms for the genomic basis of phenotypic variation, this project aims to reconstruct the universal evolutionary phenomena underpinning a watershed evolutionary episode that shapes global biodiversity and the human condition to this day.

Meccanismo di finanziamento

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

Coordinatore

THE FRANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE LIMITED
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 500 000,00
Indirizzo
1 midland road
NW1 1AT London
Regno Unito

Mostra sulla mappa

Regione
London Inner London — West Camden and City of London
Tipo di attività
Research Organisations
Collegamenti
Altri finanziamenti
€ 0,00

Beneficiari (1)