scholarly journals Modelling the spatiotemporal spread of beneficial alleles using ancient genomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasa A Muktupavela ◽  
Martin Petr ◽  
Laure S&eacutegurel ◽  
Thorfinn Sand Korneliussen ◽  
John Novembre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Diffusion Rate ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
The World ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Frequency Changes ◽  
Low Coverage ◽  
Beneficial Allele ◽  
And Diffusion

Ancient genome sequencing technologies now provide the opportunity to study natural selection in unprecedented detail. Rather than making inferences from indirect footprints left by selection in present-day genomes, we can directly observe whether a given allele was present or absent in a particular region of the world at almost any period of human history within the last 10,000 years. Methods for studying selection using ancient genomes often rely on partitioning individuals into discrete time periods or regions of the world. However, a complete understanding of natural selection requires more nuanced statistical methods which can explicitly model allele frequency changes in a continuum across space and time. Here we introduce a method for inferring the spread of a beneficial allele across a landscape using two-dimensional partial differential equations. Unlike previous approaches, our framework can handle time-stamped ancient samples, as well as genotype likelihoods and pseudohaploid sequences from low-coverage genomes. We apply the method to a panel of published ancient West Eurasian genomes, to produce dynamic maps showcasing the inferred spread of candidate beneficial alleles over time and space. We also provide estimates for the strength of selection and diffusion rate for each of these alleles. Finally, we highlight possible avenues of improvement for accurately tracing the spread of beneficial alleles in more complex scenarios.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Ben Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Molecular Genetics ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
The Other ◽  
Living World ◽  
The World ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Over Time

Twentieth-century psychology took a modernist form, giving Darwin’s approach to agency an unscientific look. Meanwhile, twentieth-century biologists were reconstructing evolutionary theory to highlight molecular genetics, reducing Darwin’s far-reaching writings about the living world to one grand idea: natural selection. Advances in biology today, which ground evolutionary thinking in a theory of the organism (or phenotype), find new wisdom in Darwin’s vision of the world. This vision has two axes. One describes the interwoven lives of the creatures who fill a given habitat, making interdependence central—a theatre of agency or ‘struggle for life.’ The other is what that struggle effects over time periods measured in millions of years, namely: evolution. Like his law of natural selection, Darwin’s psychology drew primarily on his understandings of the theatre of agency, whether discussing the actions of humans, animals, or plants—as the chapters of this book will show.

scholarly journals Dissecting dynamics and differences of selective pressures in the evolution of human pigmentation

Biology Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. bio056523
Author(s):  
Xin Huang ◽  
Sijia Wang ◽  
Li Jin ◽  
Yungang He
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Directional Selection ◽  
Genotype Data ◽  
Population Groups ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
African Populations ◽  
The World ◽  
Dark Pigmentation ◽  
Time Periods

ABSTRACTHuman pigmentation is a highly diverse and complex trait among populations and has drawn particular attention from both academic and non-academic investigators for thousands of years. Previous studies detected selection signals in several human pigmentation genes, but few studies have integrated contribution from multiple genes to the evolution of human pigmentation. Moreover, none has quantified selective pressures on human pigmentation over epochs and between populations. Here, we dissect dynamics and differences of selective pressures during different periods and between distinct populations with new approaches. We use genotype data of 19 genes associated with human pigmentation from 17 publicly available datasets and obtain data for 2346 individuals of six representative population groups from across the world. Our results quantify the strength of natural selection on light pigmentation not only in modern Europeans (0.0259/generation) but also in proto-Eurasians (0.00650/generation). Our results also suggest that several derived alleles associated with human dark pigmentation may be under positive directional selection in some African populations. Our study provides the first attempt to quantitatively investigate the dynamics of selective pressures during different time periods in the evolution of human pigmentation.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the article.

THE EVOLUTION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT INDEXATION IN BRAZIL

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy S. Doupnik
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
The World ◽  
Inflation Accounting ◽  
History Of ◽  
Time Periods

Accounting for inflation is one of the more controversial topics in financial reporting. This paper traces the evolution of the system of inflation accounting used in one of the most highly inflationary economies in the world—Brazil. The history of inflation accounting in Brazil (known as monetary correction) is divided into three time periods: pre-1964, 1964 to 1976, and 1976 to the present. The events pertinent to the system of monetary correction in each of these periods are first discussed and then evaluated. It is shown that the system of monetary correction has been subject to massive political pressures since its inception, but gradual improvements have taken place over the years.

scholarly journals Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2885
Author(s):  
Irene Calvente ◽  
María Isabel Núñez ◽  
Rachid Chahboun Karimi ◽  
Juan Villalba-Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Southern Spain ◽  
World Health ◽  
Maximal Level ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
The World ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The University ◽  
Analyze Data ◽  
Radon Concentrations

The objective of this pilot study was to gather and analyze data on radon concentrations in workplaces in three buildings of Granada University (Southern Spain) constructed in different centuries. All measurements were made at basement or ground floor level under normal use conditions except for one space (mineral store), in which measurements were compared between the door closed and open. Measurements were conducted during different time periods between October 2013 and March 2019 with a Radon-Scout PLUS portable Radonmonitor. The duration of continuous recordings at different sites ranged between 42 and 1104 h. Mean accumulated radon concentrations ranged between 12 and 95 Bq/m3, below the maximal level of 300 Bq/m3 set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Relatively high values were recorded in the oldest building (15th century), which was also poorly ventilated. Ventilation appeared to be an important factor in reducing radon levels, especially in areas less exposed to radon, such as Southern Spain.

scholarly journals Sámi indigenous(?) Religion(s)(?)—Some Observations and Suggestions Concerning Term Use

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 432
Author(s):  
Konsta Kaikkonen
Keyword(s):  
Culturally Sensitive ◽  
Indigenous Religion ◽  
Historical Materials ◽  
Everyday Lives ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
The World ◽  
Great Relevance ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
To Come ◽  
Indigenous Religions

When writing about politically and culturally sensitive topics, term use is of great relevance. Sámi religion is a case in point. Words organise and create the world around us, and labels have direct consequences on how religious phenomena are perceived. Even labelling a phenomenon or an action “religious” carries certain baggage. Term use is, of course, easier when writing about historical materials and describing rituals whose practitioners have been dead for centuries. Nonetheless, contemporary practitioners of age-old rituals or people who use ancient symbols in their everyday lives often see themselves as carriers of old tradition and wish to identify with previous generations regardless of opinions that might deem their actions as “re-enacting”, “neoshamanism”, or “neopaganism”. If, for example, outsider academics wish to deem modern-day Indigenous persons as “neo”-something, issues of power and essentialism blend in with the discourse. This paper critically explores terms used around the Sámi religion in different time periods and attempts to come to suggestions that could solve some of the terminological problems a student of modern practitioners of indigenous religions inevitably faces.

scholarly journals Using seasonal genomic changes to understand historical adaptation: parallel selection on stickleback in highly-variable estuaries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Garcia-Elfring ◽  
Antoine Paccard ◽  
Timothy J. Thurman ◽  
Ben A. Wasserman ◽  
Eric P. Palkovacs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Allele Frequency ◽  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Threespine Stickleback ◽  
Functional Enrichment ◽  
Genomic Changes ◽  
Parallel Selection ◽  
Frequency Changes

AbstractParallel evolution is considered strong evidence for natural selection. However, few studies have investigated the process of parallel selection as it plays out in real time. The common approach is to study historical signatures of selection in populations already well adapted to different environments. Here, to document selection in action under natural conditions, we study six populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) inhabiting bar-built estuaries that undergo seasonal cycles of environmental changes. Estuaries are periodically isolated from the ocean due to sandbar formation during dry summer months, with concurrent environmental shifts that resemble the long-term changes associated with postglacial colonization of freshwater habitats by marine populations. We used pooled whole-genome sequencing (Pool-WGS) to track seasonal allele frequency changes in these populations and search for signatures of natural selection. We found consistent changes in allele frequency across estuaries, suggesting a potential role for parallel selection. Functional enrichment among candidate genes included transmembrane ion transport and calcium binding, which are important for osmoregulation and ion balance. The genomic changes that occur in threespine stickleback from bar-built estuaries could provide a glimpse into the early stages of adaptation that have occurred in many historical marine to freshwater transitions.

scholarly journals Agrowisata Berkelanjutan Berbasis Kopi di Satria Agrowisata Desa Manukaya, Kecamatana Tampak Siring, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali (Studi Evolusi Pariwisata)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 262
Author(s):  
Febrytha Nur Azizah ◽  
I Putu Anom
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Tourist Attraction ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Alternative Tourism ◽  
The World ◽  
Tourism Activity ◽  
Main Attraction

Agro-tourism is an alternative tourism activity that relies on plantations and agriculture as its main attraction. Along with the development of tourism, agro-tourism has now become an economic driving commodity for the surrounding community, so that agro-tourism is increasingly taken into account in the world of tourism. The development of an agro-tourism can not be separated from the evolutionary process that occurs through various stages of the beginning of the tourist attraction built until now. This study aims to determine the evolution of developments in Satria Agrowisata. The research method used is descriptive qualitative by conducting data collection techniques through online interview as primary data, and conducting online observations as secondary data. The results show that Satria Agrowisata can adapt well to the various changes that exist and continue to innovate in order to survive in the world of tourism until now. In Darwin's theory of evolution, he put forward two key words in his theory, natural selection and adaptation. Natural selection as a mechanism for evolutionary change, and adaptations that occur in its development over time.   Keyword: Evolution, Agrotourism, Satria Agrowisata, Bali.

scholarly journals Significance of the Diversification of Wheat Species for the Assembly and Functioning of the Root-Associated Microbiome

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Gruet ◽  
Daniel Muller ◽  
Yvan Moënne-Loccoz
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Wheat Root ◽  
Wheat Species ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
The World ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Microbe Interactions

Wheat, one of the major crops in the world, has had a complex history that includes genomic hybridizations between Triticum and Aegilops species and several domestication events, which resulted in various wild and domesticated species (especially Triticum aestivum and Triticum durum), many of them still existing today. The large body of information available on wheat-microbe interactions, however, was mostly obtained without considering the importance of wheat evolutionary history and its consequences for wheat microbial ecology. This review addresses our current understanding of the microbiome of wheat root and rhizosphere in light of the information available on pre- and post-domestication wheat history, including differences between wild and domesticated wheats, ancient and modern types of cultivars as well as individual cultivars within a given wheat species. This analysis highlighted two major trends. First, most data deal with the taxonomic diversity rather than the microbial functioning of root-associated wheat microbiota, with so far a bias toward bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi that will progressively attenuate thanks to the inclusion of markers encompassing other micro-eukaryotes and archaea. Second, the comparison of wheat genotypes has mostly focused on the comparison of T. aestivum cultivars, sometimes with little consideration for their particular genetic and physiological traits. It is expected that the development of current sequencing technologies will enable to revisit the diversity of the wheat microbiome. This will provide a renewed opportunity to better understand the significance of wheat evolutionary history, and also to obtain the baseline information needed to develop microbiome-based breeding strategies for sustainable wheat farming.

scholarly journals InBUy database of Invasive and Alien Species (IAS) in Uruguay: a useful tool to confront this threat to biodiversity

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvana Masciadri ◽  
Ernesto Brugnoli ◽  
Pablo Muniz
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
The World ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Managed Ecosystems ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
And Control ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

In Uruguay, as well as in other regions of the world, IAS cause negative impacts on natural and managed ecosystems. The use of databases is a helpful tool to elaborate different strategies for prevention and control, and to develop policies and scientific analyses related to IAS. The database of IAS in Uruguay (InBUy) was developed during two time periods (2006-2007 and 2009-2010). It currently contains information on 33 specialists of different taxonomic groups, 14 research projects, 185 references, 351 species and 4,715 records, with vascular plants having both the highest number of species and records. Among vascular plants, herbaceous life forms are the most strongly represented, followed by trees and shrubs. Within animals, the fishes and mollusks are the most important groups. Analysis of the native distribution areas of IAS showed that most are indigenous from Europe, followed by Asia and Oceania. Data showed that introductions of IAS into Uruguay are mainly intentional (67%), so efforts should be focused on policies and rules in order to control the entrance of exotic organisms and prevent new invasions. The geography of the compiled dataset shows the main impact is along the coastline, where the highest exotic species richness and records occurs, and also the most biological invasions. The InBUy database is up-to-date and has successfully contributed to the creation of an official IAS list for Uruguay and both a National and a Coastal Geographic Information System. It has also been used for developing consciousness about this important threat to biodiversity, at both national and regional scales.

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