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A selection pressure landscape for 870 human polygenic traits

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  • Weichen Song

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders)

  • Yueqi Shi

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Weidi Wang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders)

  • Weihao Pan

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Wei Qian

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Shunying Yu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders)

  • Min Zhao

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders)

  • Guan Ning Lin

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders)

Abstract

Characterizing the natural selection of complex traits is important for understanding human evolution and both biological and pathological mechanisms. We leveraged genome-wide summary statistics for 870 polygenic traits and attempted to quantify signals of selection on traits of different forms in European ancestry across four periods in human history and evolution. We found that 88% of these traits underwent polygenic change in the past 2,000–3,000 years. Recent selection was associated with ancient selection signals in the same trait. Traits related to pigmentation, body measurement and nutritional intake exhibited strong selection signals across different time scales. Our findings are limited by our use of exclusively European data and the use of genome-wide association study data, which identify associations between genetic variants and phenotypes that may not be causal. In sum, we provide an overview of signals of selection on human polygenic traits and their characteristics across human evolution, based on a European subset of human genetic diversity. These findings could serve as a foundation for further populational and medical genetic studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Weichen Song & Yueqi Shi & Weidi Wang & Weihao Pan & Wei Qian & Shunying Yu & Min Zhao & Guan Ning Lin, 2021. "A selection pressure landscape for 870 human polygenic traits," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(12), pages 1731-1743, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:5:y:2021:i:12:d:10.1038_s41562-021-01231-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01231-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Nurfatima Jandarova & Aldo Rustichini, 2024. "Selection and the Roy Model in the Neolithic Transition," Working Papers 27, Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research.

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