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European evolution over past 3,000 years + Turkeys are capable of "virgin birth"

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Evidence found of genetic evolution in Europeans over past several thousand years
https://phys.org/news/2021-11-evidence-g...usand.html

EXCERPTS: A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China has found evidence of natural selection based evolutionary changes to people living in Europe over the past two to three thousand years...

[...] Noting that few studies have been conducted with the goal of learning more about evolutionary changes in people living in relatively modern times, the researchers designed a study that was meant to learn more about how natural selection has impacted people living in Europe over the past several thousand years.

[...] In looking at the data, the researchers found evolution at work in 755 genes related to the traits they had selected over the past 2,000 to 3,000 years—and they included skin pigmentation, dietary traits and body measurements. All three traits were found to be under near constant selection pressure, leading to near constant changes to the genome.

They note that skin pigmentation changes were expected due to the differences in exposure to ultraviolet light—the early migraters to Europe were known to have dark skin; over time, they became lighter. They also found changes related to consumption of vitamin D, heat regulation and body measurements. Such changes they note, were also likely due to changes in climate... (MORE - missing details)


Turkeys are capable of "virgin birth"
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-...rgin-birth

INTRO: If you’re like most people, you don’t think about turkeys much until one shows up trussed and roasted on your Thanksgiving table. [...] One of their neatest tricks, however, is that they’re capable of parthenogenesis.

Parthenogenesis literally means “virgin birth,” but it has nothing to do with the common conception of virginity — birds that have previously mated can do it too. Instead, it has everything to do with reproducing without sex. Parthenogenesis is the development of viable offspring from unfertilized eggs, no sperm necessary.

It occurs less commonly in complex organisms than in simple ones — like wasps, bees and ants — but parthenogenesis isn’t quite as rare as you might think.

More than 80 vertebrate species reproduce asexually under certain circumstances and more are being discovered all the time. It’s relatively common among fish and lizards and snakes. Sharks can pull it off, too, on occasion. Turkeys aren’t even the only birds that do it, either. Pigeons, zebra finches and some quail have all been known to reproduce asexually.

Scientists at the California Condor Recovery Program, while studying the genetic diversity of the birds’ DNA, were recently surprised to discover that two of the female birds had produced live chicks (in 2001 and 2009) without the aid of a father. Both chicks died before becoming sexually mature, but this wasn’t surprising. When parthenogenesis does occur in birds, the young usually die before they hatch... (MORE - details)
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