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By Marta Kobla\u0144ska, August 22, 2025, 12:20 Poland’s time, photo: DNA’s clash, Placidplace, Pixabay<\/p>\n
The risk for a population to become extinct increases along with extended and intensified inbreeding, American scientists claim. Simultaneously, genetic diversity may be taken as an advantage.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In ancient Egypt, inbreeding was seen as a method to preserve the population’s exceptional traits and contribute to a more advanced society. This approach was effective for a time; however, over time, excessive genetic similarity ultimately led to the collapse of this great civilization. Recently, scientists in California, USA, have confirmed that the extension of homozygous stretches (similar sections) in the genetic code (DNA) serves as a reliable genomic marker for inbreeding breakdown.<\/span><\/p>\n These long runs of homozygosity are associated with reduced rates of survival as well as reproduction in diverse mammals and bird species,<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n claim Christopher C.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Kyriazis <\/span><\/strong>of Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo, Escondido, Jacqueline A. Robinson<\/strong> of Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, and Kirk E. Lohmueller<\/strong> of Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n An overall rule applicable to all societies and species, including humans, is that fitness, typically measured with reproduction and survival rates, represents one of the most important markers to assess a population’s stability or potential deterioration. <\/span>Many studies have been conducted to prove whether a higher genetic variation is linked to better conditions of a population. Those study results were unclear. <\/span>However, the is clear that shared ancestry may <\/span>negative<\/span><\/span>ly<\/span><\/span> impact fitnes<\/span><\/span>s.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n With the advancement of modern methods for identifying potentially harmful mutations in genomic variation datasets, new research opportunities have emerged. Scientists now widely use these methods to estimate fitness and genetic load in wild populations, often to assess extinction risk status. Given that earlier discoveries highlighted the similarities between mammalian and human genetic codes, why can’t these methods be applied to human populations as well<\/span>?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What does homozygosity mean?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n To answer the above question, first, let\u2019s try to explain what homozygosity means in reality. <\/span>Simplifying, these <\/span>are<\/span> identical haplotypes from related ancestors inherited in a given genome. A haplotype <\/span>represents<\/span> a group of genes that originate from just one parent and are located close to each other, potentially constituting a contiguous stretch in the genome. Not to dive into a dump, <\/span>this is our past and heritage we all have, whether we like it or not. <\/span>A simple conclusion could be: t<\/span>he longer similar sections within DNA, the closer ancestors <\/span>we have inherited<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n
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