Recent Regulatory Changes Shaped the Human Facial and Vocal Anatomy

Gokhman, D.; Agranat Tamir, L.; Housman, G.; Nissim Rafinia, M.; Nieves Colon, M.; Gu, H.; Ferrando, M.; Gelabert, P.; Lipende, I.; Quillen, E. E.; Meissner, A.; Stone, A. C.; Pusey, A. E.; Mjungu, D.; Kandel, L.; Liebergall, M.; Prada, M. E.; Vidal, J. M.; Krause, J.; Yakir, B.; Paabo, S.; Reich, D.; Lalueza Fox, C.; Marques-Bonet, T.; Meshorer, E.; Carmel, L.

doi:10.1101/106955

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/106955

Recent Regulatory Changes Shaped the Human Facial and Vocal Anatomy

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Abstract

SummaryRegulatory changes are broadly accepted as key drivers of phenotypic divergence. However, identifying regulatory changes that underlie human-specific traits has proven very challenging. Here, we use 63 DNA methylation maps of ancient and present-day humans, as well as of six chimpanzees, to detect differentially methylated regions that emerged in modern humans after the split from Neanderthals and Denisovans. We show that genes affecting the face and vocal tract went through particularly extensive methylation changes. Specifically, we identify widespread hypermethylation in a network of face- and voice-affecting genes (SOX9, ACAN, COL2A1, NFIX and XYLT1). We propose that these repression patterns appeared after the split from Neanderthals and Denisovans, and that they might have played a key role in shaping the modern human face and vocal tract.View Full Text

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Gokhman, D., Agranat Tamir, L., Housman, G., Nissim Rafinia, M., Nieves Colon, M., Gu, H., Ferrando, M., Gelabert, P., Lipende, I., Quillen, E. E., Meissner, A., Stone, A. C., Pusey, A. E., Mjungu, D., Kandel, L., Liebergall, M., Prada, M. E., Vidal, J. M., Krause, J., Yakir, B., Paabo, S., Reich, D., Lalueza Fox, C., Marques-Bonet, T., Meshorer, E., Carmel, L.. 2017-02-08. Recent Regulatory Changes Shaped the Human Facial and Vocal Anatomy. https://doi.org/10.1101/106955

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