Caveman Have the Advantage Against COVID-19

 

COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc in the lives of everyone across the world. A big question has been how some people can be asymptomatic or have minor symptoms while others are dying from the same virus. Recent discoveries can prove to have these answers in our ancestor’s DNA. Scientists studying Neandertals have found that chromosome 12 may be the answer. The haplotype, known as a cluster of genetic variants, that are inherited together, has seen to affect the risk of having an intervention with intensive care. In the research presented by Hugo Zeberg and Svante PaaBo, It was discovered to have a 22% decrease in becoming super sick when infected by COVID-19. Infections due to RNA viruses, in this region, encodes for proteins that activate enzymes on chromosome 12 to deal with such viruses. This chromosome helps protects from severe diseases.

In contrast, it also has been seen that chromosome 3 had the opposite effect. It carries having a higher risk for diseases, especially the SARS-CoV-2. Trends have shown an increase in the Neandertal haplotype increasing in the past 20,000 years as well as the past 1,000 years. If the haplotype on chromosome 3 is present, there is almost double the risk of becoming seriously infected with COVID-19. It has been seen that 65% of the Southern Asian population carries the haplotype and 16% in Europe of chromosome 3.

Chromosome 12 haplotype is effective in destroying the COVID-19 because it destroys the viral RNA by having the variants affect the function of genes that result in a biochemical chain reaction. Unfortunately, not many people in Africa carry the genes retrieved from the Neanderthals, but they can be subsequently traced to all parts of the world other than in Africa primarily.  It would be noteworthy to see the trends in how many people needed medical intervention when battling this disease. Just seeing it in everyday life is a possibility because the U.S. has had so many cases of people dying. Other than the fact that we have dense populations in cities, but also because in these cities we have a melting pot of people with different genetics, as well as all over the United States. 

When reading over this study I found it quite interesting to have a link to a burning question I have had, since this all started. Back when COVID-19 lockdown just started my mom had it very bad. We also know a ton of people that have not had many symptoms. This could be the answer as to why my mom had it so horribly. In her case, the bigger question is did she get it so badly to due prior hindering medical conditions or is it genetics.

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/9/e2026309118

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-coronavirus-neandertal-genes-risk-severe-infection

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-some-neandertal-genes-protection-severe-covid-19

Gene Linkage to Brain size

 

https://www.the-scientist.com/daily-news/human-specific-genes-implicated-in-brain-size-36691

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-has-human-brain-evolved/

The human brain has evolved exponentially since the time of our ancestors'. Through increased size and function, our brains hold the capability and understanding to overwhelm previous primate relatives. Even though this is widely understood and accepted, the biological explanation as to how and why human brains are much larger and carry out different molecular mechanisms, is not fully understood. Researchers wanted to further explore this natural phenomenon and possibly give an answer to the development of modern humans. 

To dive deeper into their understanding, researchers started to look at the genes of modern humans and immediate ancestors. They studied the cells and sequenced RNA from human fetal cortical tissue, and found 35 genes that were classified under 24 genetic families which all held properties to code for protein formation. In particular, they were searching for genes that coded for a larger amount of progenitor cell development during cortical neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is the ability of the brain to form neurons. Through their research, they found a gene called the NOTCH2NL gene which held cells in a progenitor state, which in tern made more neuron formation leading to increased brain size and function. This gene is in the same family as the NOTCH2 gene family which is universal across all mammals and is known to improve neurogenesis through the NOTCH neurological signaling pathway. 

I think this is a good start for the explanation into our evolutionary development, yet I feel much more is at play when talking about a phenomenon as powerful as this evolutionary step. 

Even My Blog Post is Getting a Pinch of Pumpkin Spice

I don't have any funny anecdotes to introduce my topic with.  After reading "The Evolutionary Event That Gave You Pumpkins and Squash," published by The New York Times, and the referenced abstract of the journal the journalist used to write their article, the only thing I'm thinking about is the fact that the author implied that it was normal to choose squash over watermelon just because of the season. I don't want to get too into it because I still have to talk about science stuff, but really how does someone turn their backs on watermelon?  It has everything you could possibly want in a fruit.  It's taste can only be described as sweet, there's literally water pouring out of every pore along the surface area of the melon, it feels like a soft and juicy cloud when you bite into it.  Don't even get me started on the vast amounts of ways you can eat a watermelon, the possibilities are endless.  And would you like to know what else is endless? My love for watermelon.  A squash is just some yellow-ish thing from the ground. Who wants that? The answer is not me.  The journalist also indicated at the end of the article that hot melon soup was a good idea.  I might be wrong here (I'm probably not), but melons should be eaten cold.  That's when they're at their best.  It's a scientific fact.  I don't know why the journalist would even suggest that, even as a joke.  I feel that it is a personal attack on the entire cucurbitaceae family and if I was more confrontational maybe I would give this journalist a piece of my mind.

Back to science, this article briefly summarizes the results that were published by a group of researchers.  During their research, the group was able to map out the points of divergence between the individuals in the cucurbitaceae family.  They found that all individuals evolved from a single melon-like fruit.  This fruit copied its genome in order to reproduce.  Over time, the changing environmental conditions allowed each new version of the melon to lose genes and modify their own genomes to become what they are today.  As a result of each major divergent event, genes were deleted, chromosomes were rearranged, and new genetic patterns were created.  This is an example of the process of divergence between a population to create a new species.  By understanding how the individuals in this family has evolved, scientists are now able to create new variations of these fruits.  After reading the results and this article, I think that this is a good advancement in food technology and might lead to the ability of third world countries to receive the nutrients they need from new strains of melons.  The future creation of new variants in this family may also lead to a strain that can produce a larger amount of crop yield than any other existing strain that can also assist third world countries. The increase in crop yield can also nutritionally support citizens at or below the poverty line because the increase in supply will decrease the price, and those citizens will have the ability to afford them more than they can now.