@article {13033, title = {Explaining human uniqueness: genome interactions with environment, behaviour and culture}, journal = {Nat Rev Genet}, volume = {9}, number = {10}, year = {2008}, note = {

Nat Rev Genet. 2008 Oct;9(10):749-63.

}, month = {Oct}, pages = {749-63}, type = {Comparative StudyResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}tReview}, edition = {2008/09/20}, abstract = {

What makes us human? Specialists in each discipline respond through the lens of their own expertise. In fact, {\textquoteright}anthropogeny{\textquoteright} (explaining the origin of humans) requires a transdisciplinary approach that eschews such barriers. Here we take a genomic and genetic perspective towards molecular variation, explore systems analysis of gene expression and discuss an organ-systems approach. Rejecting any {\textquoteright}genes versus environment{\textquoteright} dichotomy, we then consider genome interactions with environment, behaviour and culture, finally speculating that aspects of human uniqueness arose because of a primate evolutionary trend towards increasing and irreversible dependence on learned behaviours and culture - perhaps relaxing allowable thresholds for large-scale genomic diversity.

}, keywords = {*Culture, *Environment, *Genetic Speciation, *Individuality, Animals, Behavior/*physiology, Biological, Chromosomes, Evolution, Gene Regulatory Networks/physiology, Genetic Variation/physiology, Genome, Human, Human/*physiology, Humans, Models, Molecular}, isbn = {1471-0064 (Electronic)14}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18802414}, author = {Ajit Varki and Geschwind, D. H. and Eichler, E. E.} }