For the study, scientists compared genetic codes from 62 animals. (Representative pic)
A new study from scientists at the University of Utah and the University of Pittsburgh has revealed that humans still have genes that could grow a full coat of body hair, but evolution disabled them. According to research, published in the journal eLife, experts looked into nearly 20,000 coding genes, and 350,000 regulatory ones, and compared them across 62 different mammal species.
"We have taken the creative approach of using biological diversity to learn about our own genetics," Nathan Clark, a human geneticist and a study co-author, said in a news release. "This is helping us to pinpoint regions of our genome that contribute to something important to us," he added.
The team of researchers explored why some mammals have much less body hair than others. They believe that their study shows how regulatory regions of the genome influence the hair-growing process indirectly, guiding when and where certain genes turn on and just how much hair is made.
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In their study, the scientists said that they uncovered genes for which a role in sprouting hair had not yet been defined, possibly highlighting a new set of genes that could be involved in hair growth.
"There are a good number of genes we don't know much about them," Amanda Kowalczyk, an evolutionary genomes researcher and study co-author, said, adding, "We think they could have roles in hair growth and maintenance."
The team stated that evolutionary processes changed the way genes acted, allowing some mammals to grow less hair. "As animals are under evolutionary pressure to lose hair, the genes encoding hair become less important. That's why they speed up the rate of genetic changes that are permitted by natural selection. Some genetic changes might be responsible for loss of hair. Others could be collateral damage after hair stops growing," said Mr Clark.
The scientists think that their research could now eventually lead to new ways to recover hair in humans. They also believe that they have unlocked a new approach to defining genetic regions, potentially helping researchers understand a host of additional health conditions.