The bonobo genome is sequenced. The letter reporting was recently published in Nature, and is available openly under the title, "The bonobo genome compared with the chimpanzee and human genomes." Kay Prüfer from the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropologyis the lead author. There are some interesting preliminary comparisons such as: Bonobos and chimps have 99.6% sequence similarity... Continue Reading →
A New Malaria Pathogen Found In Chimpanzees From Gabon
Plasmodium falciparum is the protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans and ultimately the death of 2-3 million people a year. If you didn't know, malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases and an enormous public health problem. Only one other malaria causing protozoan, a sister species of the P. falciparum parasite, P.... Continue Reading →
Bonobo Genome & Bonobo Conservation Efforts
It seems like the news hasn't gobbled up this news as adamantly as it did the news of the bonobo reserve in the Congo, but it is nonetheless newsworthy and crucial to the study of bonobos. The Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the Max Planck Institute put out a press release that they just acquired... Continue Reading →
Alternative Splicing in Humans & Chimps
I could swear that in the past I had covered news that the minute genetic and massive phenotypic differences between humans and chimpanzees are due to the alternative splicing. But I can't seem to find the post at all... there maybe a slight chance I didn't post about it but I'm pretty sure I did... Continue Reading →
Brainstorming the Future of Primate Brain Evolution Research
The following post is a departure from my usual reporting on an interesting primate related tidbit of research. I'll be posting about how I have thought about how to study primate brain evolution research. These are just ideas I have brainstormed. It is very probable that people are doing this out in their respective labs... Continue Reading →
A SNP Resource for Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) Genomics
I'm posting this as I run out the door, so forgive me if it is a bit brief and incomplete in explanation... but I have to share this resource/paper with you because less than 1 month ago the Macaque genome draft was released, and this publication is the first application, I know, of the draft... Continue Reading →
The Human Mutation – a mutation in neuropsin is found only in humans
So if you have been in the dark about what's been making a lot of buzz around the internet today, have no worries. I'm more than happy to explain it to you, because this new research will really help us understand what it means to be human and non-human. How, you ask? Well, it identifies... Continue Reading →
A bit on Chimpanzee kin selection, especially brother-brother relations
In chimpanzee communities, it pays to be close with your maternal brethren, according to a brand new publication in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The large chimpanzee population at Ngogo in Kibale National Park, Uganda, was studied for this research paper both thru behavioral and molecular approaches. I'm... Continue Reading →
Science magazine unveils the Macaque Genome
Science just published a whole slew of papers, posters, news articles, and the like on the Rhesus Macaque because the macaque genome, the first monkey genome to be sequenced, has been unveiled today. I haven't read all of the content in this special issue, but from what I have skimmed so far it's all focused... Continue Reading →
Making sense of the scrambled Gibbon genome
Remember when I told you that the genome of the gibbon was to be sequenced, all the way back in July of 2006? At that time, I assumed it will be finished sooner than the 3 years the NHGRI planned out for the project. Well, I think my estimatation is right on track.... however researchers... Continue Reading →