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Research Suggests Apes and Humans Separated By a Single Gene

Posted by timothy on from the nothing-between-me-and-calvins dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers believe that they have found the definitive difference between humans and other primates, and they think that the difference all comes down to a single gene."

12 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. Uh huh. by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 5, Funny

    And some are separated by less.

    1. Re:Uh huh. by H0p313ss · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oook?

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    2. Re:Uh huh. by war4peace · · Score: 5, Insightful

      After watching human beings for over 3 decades, that gene is rare. Very rare.

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      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    3. Re:Uh huh. by pitchpipe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      yeah, blacks

      No. Racists: If ever there was a more ignorant, backward way of thinking than racism, it'd be done by something that lived in a slime mold at the bottom of a swamp. But then again, I think that I've just insulted things that live in slime molds.

      --
      Look where all this talking got us, baby.
  2. To the anonymous submitter: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Why don't you link to the original article?

    1. Re:To the anonymous submitter: by RDW · · Score: 5, Informative

      Most likely it's way too technical for today's /. average reader and editor.

      ...and probably because the conclusions of the paper have very little in common with the massively hyped version on medicaldaily.com. The original authors are much more cautious (and certainly don't claim that this is _the_ difference):

      "Taken together, the unusual features of miR-941 evolution, as well as its potential association with functions linked to human longevity and cognition, suggest roles of miR-941 in the evolution of human-specific phenotypes."

  3. Re: Uplift by Dupple · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, I'll be a monkeys uncle!

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    Watch those corners
  4. I see why now.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    a group of baboons is called a Congress...

    1. Re:I see why now.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't know if that's right. A group of baboons can usually accomplish something.

  5. Misleading summary by Fwipp · · Score: 5, Informative

    TFA makes it clear that it was a difference in this gene that _started_ the divergence, between 6 and 1 million years ago. TFS makes it sound like flipping one gene would produce chimpanzees rather than humans.

    1. Re:Misleading summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      The scientific paper makes no such hyperboleus claim as to have found the gene that started the divergence.

      "Taken together, the unusual features of miR-941 evolution, as well as its potential association with functions linked to human longevity and cognition, suggest roles of miR-941 in the evolution of human-specific phenotypes. "

      This is the strongest general claim the authors have in the article. Both the summary and the linked article are extremely misleading.

  6. Not a "single gene" by nomad-9 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The article is crock. Scientists didn't pretend that "all the difference humans and apes comes down to a single gene", they stated that they discovered a new brain gene that is unique to humans .and they are hopeful to find more of the same to help explain what makes us who we are.

    They don''t even say that this gene was the "first" and sprang all the others. All they are saying is that it played a significant role in human evolution, and that it appeared from junk DNA after humans evolved from apes.

    Being unique to humans, and being the one and only single difference between humans and apes, are two different things. One is a scientific statement and the other is typical media sensationalist drivel.