The early humans had almost no hope of surviving severe burns, so evolution may have prioritized the selection of light -curating genes, which may be affecting modern medicine.
O domain of fire may also have led to genetic changes that helped the first humans survive light burns, but this evolutionary feature can complicate the treatment of more serious cases today.
One suggests that the selection of genes that prevent deadly infections that may arise from light burns has been prioritized in the first Homo sapiensbut these same genes interfere with the healing of severe burns.
An explanation for this to happen may be because, in primitive times, people with serious burns almost had no hope of surviving.
According to, there is at least 1 million years that hominids use fire, Whether for cooking, warming yourself, protecting yourself or making tools-and thus put yourself at risk of burns.
Scientists have already found that the Homo sapiens may have evolved to overcome some types of toxicity of smoke.
Joshua Cuddihydo Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trustin London, and his colleagues suspected that fire -related skin lesions also could have shaped human evolution.
To find out, they analyzed data previously published on the genes expressed in the burnt and healthy skin of rats and humansidentifying 94 that were expressed only during the healing of burns.
Then performed additional analyzes in Published genetic data from humans and chimpanzeesour closest living relatives.
The team sought out enhanced natural selection signs for these 94 genes em humans comparatively with chimpanzees, identifying 10 burns healing genes who have undergone a significantly stronger selection in people.
Three particularly selected genes – promoting the sensation of pain, the formation of scar tissue, inflammation and the closing of the wound – would probably have helped to quickly close smaller burns to avoid infections and promote inflammation to combat any potential pathogen, according to the results of the team presented at the annual meeting of American Burn Association In Phoenix, Arizona, this month.
Mass inflammation and the scarf they can complicate the healing of larger burnsso that the same genes that promote the healing of smaller burns seem to prevent the healing of the largest.
Thus, it can complicate current treatments when doctors have the tools to help people with such injuries.
“This is a very significant result, because attests to the only and culturally determined coevolutionary dynamics that characterizes human evolution“, it says Daniel Painfrom the University of Tel Aviv, in Israel.
Thomas Püschel, of the University of Oxford, considers the “Innovative and intriguing” idea and the “Promising and biologically plausible” results. Even so, validating the hypothesis would require much more investigation with a larger variety of primate species, including extinct hominids, he says.
Hans Püscelfrom the Millennium Center on early evolutionary transitions of mammals in Santiago, Chile, agrees with the evaluation of his brother, Thomas Püschel. “The direction of these genetic changes in humans has not yet been clarified enough,” he says.
“In addition, the specific characteristics and mechanisms subject to selection during the evolution of hominids are not clearly defined, leaving this intriguing hypothesis still underdeveloped and quite speculative.”
Teresa Oliveira Campos, Zap //
