Milk consumption was widespread thousands of years before people were able to break it down properly, according to the largest study yet on the evolution of lactose tolerance in humans.
The ability to break down lactose was probably gained during episodes of acute crisis, not gradually over time, the study found.
The leading explanation was that humans gained lactase persistence so quickly as their evolution was deeply intertwined in a cycle with dairy. As humans were pressured into evolving lactase persistence due to the nutritional benefits of milk, the spread of lactase persistence would have in turn increased human reliance on milk, increasing the pressure to be lactose tolerant.
Using changes in population size as a proxy for malnutrition, the researchers found lack of food was 689 times more likely to explain the rise of lactose tolerance than constant selection pressure. Using population density as a proxy for the spread of deadly pathogens, they found that disease was 289 times more likely to account for the spread.
Argentina Últimas Noticias, Argentina Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Famine and disease may have driven ancient Europeans’ lactose toleranceDealing with food shortages and infections over thousands of years, not widespread milk consumption, may be how an ability to digest dairy evolved.
Leer más »
Lactose Tolerance in Europeans 'Driven by Famine and Pathogens'New study seeks to explain why it took thousands of years for most humans in Europe to become tolerant to lactose, long after the advent of dairy farming.
Leer más »
How humans’ ability to digest milk evolved from famine and diseaseDairy farming in Europe began thousands of years before most people evolved the ability to drink milk as adults without becoming ill. Now researchers think they know why.
Leer más »
How Humans’ Ability to Digest Milk Evolved from Famine and DiseaseA landmark study is the first major effort to quantify how lactose tolerance developed
Leer más »
How humans’ ability to digest milk evolved from famine and diseaseLandmark study is the first major effort to quantify how lactose tolerance developed.
Leer más »
Ancient milk-drinkers were just fine with their lactose intolerance–until famine struckAncient farmers drank milk well before they could fully digest it. But when times got bad, a source of nutrition turned poisonous.
Leer más »