近日，英國《自然》雜志刊登論文說,，英國桑格研究所等機(jī)構(gòu)研究人員完成了對大猩猩基因組的測序，分析顯示它與人類基因組的相似程度為98%,，在進(jìn)化樹上兩者分離的時間在約1000萬年前,。
這一成果標(biāo)志著科學(xué)界完成了對生物分類上“人科”中包括人類在內(nèi)所有四個屬的基因組測序。在分類學(xué)中,，今天的人類屬于靈長目人科人屬智人種,。分析顯示，與人類分家最早的是紅毛猩猩,，它在約1400萬年前分離,，其基因組與人類相似度約97%；隨后大猩猩在約1000萬年前分離,，基因組與人類相似度約98%,；最晚分離的是黑猩猩，時間在約600萬年前,，它的基因組與人類最為相似,，相似度高達(dá)99%。
論文作者之一,、桑格研究所的薛雅麗博士介紹說,，本次研究不僅有助厘清上述人類進(jìn)化史,，還發(fā)現(xiàn)了其他一些有深入研究價值的問題。比如人們長期以為,，聽力的進(jìn)化是與人類特有的語言行為密不可分的,，但本次研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，大猩猩與聽力有關(guān)的基因也經(jīng)歷著與人類相似的進(jìn)化速度,，但是大猩猩不會說話,，因此對聽力基因背后的進(jìn)化驅(qū)動力可能需要重新思考。
還有一點是,，有一個基因在人類和大猩猩的基因組中都存在,，但是有這個基因的人會有較高的心臟病風(fēng)險，而大猩猩雖然也有這個基因,，卻沒有這種心臟病風(fēng)險,。如果能探清這種差異背后的原因，那將有助于推動與心臟病有關(guān)的醫(yī)療研究,。
大猩猩是現(xiàn)存最大的靈長目動物,，它生活在非洲熱帶地區(qū)的叢林中，不同地區(qū)的大猩猩可分為幾個亞種,。本次測序所用的是一只名為“卡米拉”的雌性西部低地大猩猩,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi: 10.1038/nature10842
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Insights into hominid evolution from the gorilla genome sequence
Aylwyn Scally; Julien Y. Dutheil; LaDeana W. Hillier; Gregory E. Jordan; Ian Goodhead; Javier Herrero; Asger Hobolth; Tuuli Lappalainen; Thomas Mailund; Tomas Marques-Bonet; Shane McCarthy; Stephen H. Montgomery; Petra C. Schwalie; Y. Amy Tang; Michelle C. Ward; Yali Xue; Bryndis Yngvadottir; Can Alkan; Lars N. Andersen; Qasim Ayub; Edward V. Ball; Kathryn Beal; Brenda J. Bradley; Yuan Chen; Chris M. Clee; Stephen Fitzgerald; Tina A. Graves; Yong Gu; Paul Heath; Andreas Heger; Emre Karakoc; Anja.
Gorillas are humans’ closest living relatives after chimpanzees, and are of comparable importance for the study of human origins and evolution. Here we present the assembly and analysis of a genome sequence for the western lowland gorilla, and compare the whole genomes of all extant great ape genera. We propose a synthesis of genetic and fossil evidence consistent with placing the human–chimpanzee and human–chimpanzee–gorilla speciation events at approximately 6 and 10 million years ago. In 30% of the genome, gorilla is closer to human or chimpanzee than the latter are to each other; this is rarer around coding genes, indicating pervasive selection throughout great ape evolution, and has functional consequences in gene expression. A comparison of protein coding genes reveals approximately 500 genes showing accelerated evolution on each of the gorilla, human and chimpanzee lineages, and evidence for parallel acceleration, particularly of genes involved in hearing. We also compare the western and eastern gorilla species, estimating an average sequence divergence time 1.75 million years ago, but with evidence for more recent genetic exchange and a population bottleneck in the eastern species. The use of the genome sequence in these and future analyses will promote a deeper understanding of great ape biology and evolution.
