Abstract
A new model of the origin of man is proposed on the basis of recent studies on cytogenetics of chromosomal Q-heterochromatin regions (Q-HRs) in man and other higher primates. This model is based on the following facts: a) chromosomal Q-HRs were found in the genome of only three higher primates (man, the chimpanzee and the gorilla); b) chromosomal Q-HRs in the human genome, unlike those in apes, exhibit considerable quantitative variability; c) the number of human chromosomal Q-HRs in the genome has a selective value in the adaptation of human populations to various environmental conditions.
According to this model, the three major morphofunctional distinctions of man—great physiological flexibility, characteristic morphological structure, and conceptual thinking—arose as a result of the capacity of our remote ancestors to broadly change their genome mass owing to features of chromosomal Q-HRs that are only intrinsic to man. We feel that genome-mass variability through chromosomal Q-HRs allowed man to adapt himself to various environments over such a short period of time.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Nassar K.E., Palmer C.G., Conneally P.M. & Pao-Lo Yu, 1981.The genetic structure of the Kuwaiti population. II. The distribution of Q-band chromosomal heteromorphisms. Hum. Genet., 57: 423–427.
Andrews P., 1986.Fossil evidence on human origins and dispersal. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol. 51: 419–428.
Andrews P. & Van Couvering A.H., 1975. In:Approaches to Primate Paleobiology, pp. 62–105. F.S. Szalay, Ed. Karger, Basel.
Arrighi F.E. & Hsu T.C., 1971.Localization of heterochromatin in human chromosomes. Cytogenetics, 10: 81–86.
Baker P.T. (Editor), 1978.The Biology of High Altitude Peoples. Cambridge University Press.
Brauer G., 1984.A craniological approach to the origin of anatomically modern Homo sapiens in Africa and implications for the appearance of modern Europeans. In: Smith, S., and Spencer, G., The Origins of Modern Humans. Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 327–410.
Buckton K.E., O'Riordan M.L., Jacobs P.A., Robinson J.A., Hill R. & Evans H.J., 1976.C- and Q- band polymorphisms in the chromosomes of three human populations. Ann. Hum. Genet., 40: 99–112.
Caspersson T., Zech L. & Johansson C., 1970.Differential banding alkilating fuorochromes in human chromosomes. Exp. Cell. Res., 60: 315–319.
Chiarelli B. & Lin C.C., 1972.Comparison of fluorescence patterns in human and chimpanzee chromosomes. Genet. Phaenen, 15: 103–106.
Erdtmann B., 1982.Aspects of Evaluation, Significance, and Evolution of Human C-band Heteromorphism. Hum. Genet., 61: 281–294.
Grouchy J. de, Turleau C., Roubin M. & Chavin C.F., 1973.Chromosomal evolution of man and the primates, pp. 124–131. In: T. Caspersson and L. Zech, eds.Chromosome Identification, technique and applications in biology and medicine. Academic Press, New York/London.
Harrison G.A., Weiner J.S., Tanner J.M. & Barnicot N.A., 1977.Human Biology, Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press.
Ibraimov A.I. & Mirrakhimov M.M., 1985.Q-band polymorphism in autosomes and Y chromosome in human population. In:Progress and Topics in Cytogenetics. The Y chromosome. Part A. Basic Characteristics of the Y Chromosome. Ed. A.A. Sandberg, pp. 213–287. Alan R. Liss, New York.
Ibraimov A.I., Mirrakhimov M.M., Nazarenko S.A., Axenrod E.I. & Akbanova G.A., 1982.Human Chromosomal Q-polymorphism in Mongoloid populations of Central Asia. Hum. Genet., 60: 1–7.
Ibraimov A.I., Mirrakhimov M.M., Axenrod E.I. & Kurmanova G.U., 1986.Human Chromosomal Polymorphism. IX. Further data on the possible selective value of chromosomal Q-heterochromatin material. Hum. Genet., 73: 151–156.
Ibraimov A.I., Kurmanova G.U., Ginsburg E. Kh., Aksenovich T.I. & Aksenrod E.I., 1990.Chromosomal Q-heterochromatin regions in native highlanders of Pamir and Tien-Shan and in newcomers. Cytobios, 63: 71–82.
Ibraimov A.I., Aksenrod E.I. & Kurmanova G.U., 1991.Chromosomal Q heterochromatin regions in the indigenous population of the northern part of West Siberia and in new migrants. Cytobios, 67: 95–100.
ISCN, 1978.An International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature, p. 117. S. Karger. Basel/New York.
King M.C. & Wilson A.C., 1975.Evolution at two levels in humans and chimpanzees. Science, 108: 107–116.
Kurmanova G.U. & Ibraimov A.I., 1991.The biological role of human chromosomal Q-heterochromatin regions. 8th Int. Cong. of Human Genetics, Am. J. Hum. Genet., Suppl., Vol. 49, No. 4, p. 285.
Lima-de-Faria A., 1983.Molecular Evolution and Organization of the chromosome. Elsevier. Amsterdam, New York, Oxford.
Lubs H.A., Kimberling W.J., Hecht F., Patil S.R., Brown J., Gerald P. & Summitt R.L., 1977.Racial differences in the frequency of Q and C chromosomal heteromorphisms. Nature, Vol. 268, No. 5621, 631–632.
Miklos G.L., John B., 1979.Heterochromatin and Satellite DNA in Man: Properties and Prospects. Amer. J. Hum. Genet. 31: 264–280.
Miller D.A., Firschein I.L., Dev V.G., Tantravahi R. & Miller O.J., 1974.The gorilla karyotype: chromosome length and polymorphisms. Cytogenet. Cell Genet., 13: 536–550.
Muller H.J., Klinger H.P. & Glasser M., 1975.Chromosome polymorphism in a human newborn population. II. Potentials of polymorphic chromosome variants for characterizing the idiogram of an individual. Cytogenet. Cell. Genet., 15: 239–255.
Ohno S., 1973.Evolutionary reason for having so much junk DNA. InPfeiffer, R.A. (eded.).Modern Aspects of Cytogenetics in Man. Stuttgart: Schattauer.
Paris Conference, 1971. Supplement, 1975.Standardization in human cytogenetics. Birth Defects. Original Article Series IX (9), National Foundation, New York.
Pearson P.L., 1973.The uniqueness of the human karyotype. In: T. Caspersson, and L. Zech, eds.Chromosome identification: technique and applications in biology and medicine. Nobel Symp., Vol. 23, pp. 145–151. Acad. Press, New York, London.
Pearson P.L., 1977.Banding patterns chromosome polymorphism and primate evolution. Progress in Medical Genetics, N.Y., 2: 174–197.
Prokofyeva-Belgovskaya A.A., 1986.Heterochromatin Regions of Chromosomes (Russian). Nauka, Moscow.
Seuanez H., Robinson J., Martin, D.E. & Short R.V., 1976.Fluorescent (F) bodies in the spermatozoa of man and great apes. Cytogenet. Cell Genet., 17: 317–326.
Stahl A. & Hartung M., 1981.L'heterochromatin. Ann. Genet. 24: 69–77.
Stanyon R., Studer M., Dragone A., De Benedictis G. & Brancati C., 1988.Population cytogenetics of Albanians in the province of Cosenza (Italy): frequency of Q and C band variants. Int. J. Anthropol., 3, 1: 19–29.
Stringer C.B. & Andrews P., 1988.Genetic and fossil evidence for the origin of modern humans. Science, 239: 1263–1268.
Trask V., Van der Engh G.J. & Gray J.W., 1989. Inheritance of chromosome heteromorphisms analyzed by high-resolution bivariate flow karyotyping. Amer. J. Hum. Genet. 45: 753–760.
Verma R.S., 1988.Heterochromatin. Molecular and Structural Aspects.Cambridge Univ. Press. Cambridge, New York, Sydney.
Verma R.S. & Dosik H., 1980.Human chromosomal heteromorphisms: nature and clinical significations. Int. Rev. Cytol. 62: 361–383.
Warburton D., Firschein I.L., Miller D.A. & Warburton F., 1973.Karyotype of the chimpanzee Pan troglodytes based on measurements and banding pattern: comparison to the human karyotype. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 12: 452–461.
Yamada K. & Hasegawa T., 1978.Types and frequencies of Q-variant chromosomes in a Japanese population. Hum. Genet., 44: 89–98.
Yunis J.J. & Prakash D., 1982.The origin of man: a chromosomal pictorial legacy. Science, 215: 1525–1530.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ibraimov, A.I. The origin of modern humans: A cytogenetic model. Hum. Evol. 8, 81–91 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02436607
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02436607