Human Genetic Uniqueness Project

"we cannot fully understand human genome function until we have identified genetic features that underlie uniquely human anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and cognitive characteristics".

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The Human Genetic Uniqueness Project allows Wikiversity students to join in the search for genes that account for the genetic differences between humans and our closest relatives. This project serves as a portal for learning about human biology. Student activities center on accessing genome databases and analysis of differences between human genes and the genes of other species. Background learning topics include learning about genes, and genome sequencing projects.

Project participants

• JWSchmidt
• Safira
• Sachin Gonge:-

Together We Can Make our World a beautiful Place

• Dheeraj Kumar Verma
• Gurcharan Singh
• Evaristo Mateyo

Required reading

• Human genome
• Chimpanzee Genome Project
• What makes us human: revisiting an age-old question in the genomic era
• The Jewels of Our Genome: The Search for the Genomic Changes Underlying the Evolutionarily Unique Capacities of the Human Brain
• Accelerated Evolution of Conserved Noncoding Sequences in Humans by Shyam Prabhakar, James P. Noonan, Svante Pääbo and Edward M. Rubin in Science (2006) Volume 314, page 786.
• Neanderthal genome project
• An RNA gene expressed during cortical development evolved rapidly in humans
• Human lineage-specific amplification, selection, and neuronal expression of DUF1220 domains
• The Evolution of Mammalian Gene Families

A starting point

Genes of the Chromosome 2 fusion site

Diagramatic representation of the location of the fusion site of chromosomes 2A and 2B and the genes inserted at this location.

Results from the chimpanzee genome support the hypothesis that when ancestral chromosomes 2A and 2B fused to produce human chromosome 2, no genes were lost from the fused ends of 2A and 2B. At the site of fusion, there is approximately 150,000 base pairs of additional sequence not found in chimpanzee chromosomes 2A and 2B. Additional linked copies of the PGML/FOXD/CBWD genes exist elsewhere in the human genome, particularly near the p end of chromosome 9. This suggests that a copy of these genes may have been added to the end of the ancestral 2A or 2B prior to the fusion event. Is there any evidence that the "newly" inserted genes of the chromosomes 2A and 2B fusion site might have confered a selective advantage on early human ancestors?

Learning materials

Learning materials and learning projects are located in the main Wikiversity namespace. Simply make a link to the name of the lesson (lessons are independent pages in the main namespace) and start writing!

You should also read about the Wikiversity:Learning model. Lessons should center on learning activities for Wikiversity participants. Learning materials and learning projects can be used by multiple projects. Cooperate with other departments that use the same learning resource.

• How to access the genome databases - tutorial and discussion
• ...

See also

• Molecular Paleontology Reading Group
• Research collaboration

External links

• Sonic Hedgehog, a key development gene, experienced intensified molecular evolution in primates
• Comparative genomics and diversifying selection of the clustered vertebrate protocadherin genes
• Comparative kinomics of human and chimpanzee reveal unique kinship and functional diversity generated by new domain combinations