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Ancient potato cultivation gifted Indigenous Andeans a unique evolutionary advantage
Photo: engin akyurt / Unsplash
A new study reveals that the historical embrace of the potato as a staple crop has shaped the DNA of Indigenous Peruvians, leaving them with an exceptionally high number of starch-digestion genes. This discovery offers powerful evidence of how ancestral diets can positively influence human evolution and genetic adaptation over thousands of years.
A new study reveals that the historical embrace of the potato as a staple crop has shaped the DNA of Indigenous Peruvians, leaving them with an exceptionally high number of starch-digestion genes. This discovery offers powerful evidence of how ancestral diets can positively influence human evolution and genetic adaptation over thousands of years.