Modern humans evolved a ‘selfish’ X chromosome when some left Africa

The chromosome could include areas that promote their DNA’s unfold by killing sperm that carry Y chromosomes. However, Y chromosomes could have developed counter mechanisms over time

By Michael Le Page

Around 50,000 years in the past, a brand new X chromosome seems to have been launched into trendy people that had not lengthy left Africa.

There was in all probability exceptionally sturdy choice for components of this chromosome as a result of, in the present day, most individuals of less-recent African ancestry have inherited these areas.

Kasper Munch Terkelsen at Aarhus University in Denmark, who led the analysis, thinks these areas could include bits of so-called egocentric DNA that promote their …