Anthropology 103CE – Fall 2008

Another interesting story coinciding with our recent lecture on genetics… and found in the NYTimes Fashion & Style section of all places.  Are “spit parties” and genetic profiling the next trend for the well-heeled (the price for the test offered by the profiled company is $399, on sale from $999)? What are the implications of widespread genetic testing? Are customers reading too much into the results? (Are companies like 23andMe promoting genetic determinism?) 

He said he and his fiancée had talked about how it was scary that someone might insist on seeing a potential mate’s DNA test before moving ahead in a relationship. But his curiosity had been piqued enough that he was spitting into a vial. After all, he said, the sharing of test results would not be that different than vetting a potential partner’s finances before forging ahead.               

Meant to post this before class on Tuesday –  the Washington Post had a piece concerning endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), evolution, and the human immune system.  Perfect timing, given our recent lecture covering evolutionary theory, genetics, natural selection (and our upcoming lecture covering mutation and the forces of evolution)!  Here’s a good example of molecular evidence of evolution.  

It turns out that about 8 percent of the human genome is made up of viruses that once attacked our ancestors. The viruses lost. What remains are the molecular equivalents of mounted trophies, insects preserved in genomic amber, DNA fossils.  

The thousands of human endogenous retroviruses, or HERVs, sketch a history of rough times during the 550 million years of vertebrate evolution. The best-preserved one, HERV-K113, probably arrived less than 200,000 years ago, long after human beings and chimpanzees diverged from a common ancestor…

HERVs attack the “germline” cells that make sperm and eggs. HERVs become a part of the host’s inherited genome. Unlike HIV, they outlive the organism they infect, because they are passed on to the host’s offspring and the offspring’s offspring. (This is what makes them endogenous, or “born-within.”)  

But parts of a few HERVs have been incorporated into human genes, taking on new roles. 

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2008) — A Wildlife Conservation Society report reveals surprisingly large populations of two globally threatened primates in a protected area in Cambodia.    

The report counted 42,000 black-shanked douc langurs along with 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia’s Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, an estimate that represents the largest known populations for both species in the world.   

WCS scientists conducted the surveys with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries across an area of 300 square miles (789 square kilometers) within a wider landscape of 1,150 square miles (3,000 square kilometers), which is about the size of Yosemite National Park. The scientists believe total populations within the wider landscape may be considerably greater. Read more…  

Here’s a recent article on teaching evolution at NYTimes.  For more information regarding evolutionary theory and science education, please visit the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), which provides a number of resources explaining what constitutes scientific theory and why “intelligent design” is inappropriate for science education.

Welcome to the UMass Fall 2008 course website for Anthropology 103: Human Origins and Variation.  Essentially, this is an introductory course to Physical Anthropology.  I haven’t decided whether to continue using this blog – I’ll be posting most of the course material on SPARK, but for ease of accessing online material, I’ll cross list links here as well.  Please feel free to offer any suggestions for the course or share any interesting anthro-related news!