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This week on Healthwatch, we're talking about genetic research. Understanding the effects of certain genes helps scientists better understand how organisms develop. Researchers at UT Southwestern recently identified a genetic mechanism that they believe is responsible for rapid evolutionary changes.
Mutations in the genetic code are believed to cause species to evolve over long periods of time. But researchers believe that process is too slow to account for the many new species or for rapid changes in species like dogs, where a variety of breeds have evolved quickly from a common ancestor.
Through genetic research, UT Southwester researchers found that there's a correlation between the length and angle of dogs' noses and the specific regions in the genetic code that are most likely to mutate - that could account for the number of dog breeds. The same process could account for the variations among humans.
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Jan. 2005
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