Scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here with researchers of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Pompeu Fabra University, Illumina (Spain), and Baylor College of Medicine, US, to study the genes of various primate species. They carried out genome sequencing of 809 individuals from 233 primate species, covering nearly half of all existing primate species on earth to understand evolution, human uniqueness and genetic factors behind common diseases like cancer and diabetes.
The teams combined their study of primate genes with the analysis of fossil remains, and expanded the number of primate genomes studied by four times, by including 83 samples from 19 major primate species.
The findings of this study were published in the May issue of the journal ‘Science.’ The research provides new insights into primate species, genetic diversity, and evolution. It offers a key to better understanding and conserving the biodiversity of the species that are most closely related to humans.
