title: Comment on "Ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM, a brain size determinant in Homo sapiens" and "Microcephalin, a gene regulating brain size, continues to evolve adaptively in humans".
abstract: Mekel-Bobrov et al. and Evans et al. (Reports, 9 Sept. 2005, p. 1720 and p. 1717, respectively) examined sequence data from modern humans within two gene regions associated with brain development, ASPM and microcephalin, and concluded that selection of these genes must be ongoing. We show that models of human history that include both population growth and spatial structure can generate the observed patterns without selection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Currat
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Excoffier
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maddison
authors.forename: Sarah P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Whitlock
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeaman
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001921:Brain; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D003710:Demography; D018703:Founder Effect; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009929:Organ Size; D011156:Population Density; D011158:Population Growth; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: C467202:ASPM protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C460645:MCPH1 protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins