Talk:Human Genetic Uniqueness Project

American researcher

Hi there! I recall there was an American researcher who went all over the world, collected blood samples, and was able to demonstrate how we are all related. Does anyone know who was this person? --HappyCamper 05:48, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

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You might be referring to the Human Genome Diversity Project. A team of Stanford scientists are planning on collecting blood samples from about 500 different ethnic groups world-wide, which they announced a little less than a year ago. News Release. The target groups specified in this project are isolated from the larger gene pool either by geographic location, language, or some other barrier. Many critics of this project suggest that the goals of the GDP seem to be more geared towards emphasizing our (human) genetic differences (less than 0.1% from each other!!) rather than how similar we all are. Specificially, they are hoping to find a way to genetically discern between racial groups. Obviously this brings up concerns about genocide and arguements in favor of eugenics.

[My digression: Small population sizes often show a higher frequency of mutated phenotypes. In a large population, if a mutation is recessive, there is a smaller chance that two people that mate together carry the same recessive mutation. Look at pure bred domesticated animals, such as Dalmatians. Pure Dalmatians have pure parents, which is a very specific genetic population, and yields much higher rates of genetically inherited deafness than mixed breeds.]

In looking up information on the HGDP, I can find very little about hoping to isolate and identify causes of genetic diseases for everyone, which I would have thought would have been one of the prime motivating factors behind the interest in isolated populations. Instead, there is more of a search for a genetic connection between race and specific diseases, which requires there to actually be a way to genetically define race. Dr. Nancy Wexler, a professor of neuropsychology at Colombia University, had a different approach to studying genetic disease in isolated populations. She learned of a specific community in Venezuela that has an atypically high incidence of Huntington's Disease. She led a team of researchers to Venezuela to investigate the community. By taking blood samples and mapping family geneaologies, she was able to discover the location of the mutated gene that causes Huntington's, paving the way for it to be included in genetic screenings.
Going back to your original request, I cannot recall a single researcher who was able to successfully demonstrate a common ancestor, because we do not have a complete Genetic geneaology. There are too many blood samples that would need to be drawn from too many different locations for anyone to feasibly do it with our current technology (yet), although we are closer to finding genetic "Adam" and "Eve" ancestors. It is my understanding that what we do know about how we are all related on a genetic level is the result of endless collaboration. Also, because the cost of personal genetic testing is decreasing, many people are offering up their own DNA. -LB --72.19.69.156 11:21, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Hello

Hello, who now is engaged in it? SergeyJ 22:15, 25 April 2010 (UTC)