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SUMMARY:Extreme pattern of genetic diversity in humans - Dr. Vincenza Colo
 nna (Institute of Genetics and Biophysics\, Naples\, Italy)
DTSTART:20141126T163000Z
DTEND:20141126T173000Z
UID:TALK55899@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Aurélien Mounier
DESCRIPTION:The understanding of genetic variation is essential to decode 
 traces that evolution has left in our genomes and whole-genome sequence da
 ta now allow us to interpret these signals at a resolution never possible 
 before. Genetic variation in humans generally follows clines defined by ge
 ographical regions\, and there are possibly very few fixed differences bet
 ween any pair of continents or populations. Nevertheless\, genetic differe
 nces among populations exist\, reflecting mainly past demographic events a
 nd in certain cases they can be quite extreme. Elucidating the functional 
 causes of these extreme patterns of population differentiation remains the
  major challenge.\nBoth patterns of too much or too little differences exi
 sts in different regions of the same human genome and I will illustrate th
 ose cases. First\, I will talk about ultrasensitive and transcribed ultrac
 onserved regions where there is very little genetic differentiation as a c
 onsequence of negative selection. Secondly\, I will show the case of regio
 n that present extreme differences between populations (highly differentia
 ted sites) as adaptation to population-specific environmental pressure\, o
 r positive selection. Finally\, I will talk about cases of population-spec
 ific lack of genetic variability due to consanguinity and isolation. \n
LOCATION:BioAnth Lecture Theatre (Room 41)\, Division of Biological Anthro
 pology\, Pembroke Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 3QG
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