Self-domestication in Homo sapiens: Insights from comparative genomics

This study identifies and analyzes statistically significant overlaps between selective sweep screens in anatomically modern humans and several domesticated species. The results obtained suggest that (paleo-)genomic data can be exploited to complement the fossil record and support the idea of self-domestication in Homo sapiens, a process that likely intensified as our species populated its niche. Our analysis lends support to attempts to capture the “domestication syndrome” in terms of alterations to certain signaling pathways and cell lineages, such as the neural crest.

本研究鉴定并分析了解剖学现代人类与数种驯化物种的选择性清除筛选（selective sweep screens）之间的统计学显著重叠区域。研究结果显示，（古）基因组学数据可用于补充化石记录，并支持智人（Homo sapiens）存在自我驯化的观点——该过程很可能随着人类开拓自身生态位而进一步强化。本项分析为通过特定信号通路与细胞谱系（如神经嵴（neural crest））的改变来刻画“驯化综合征（domestication syndrome）”的相关研究尝试提供了支撑。