Some cool new science showing that the lactose-tolerance gene is a recent development in Europe — less than 5,000 years ago — but that it spread rapidly because it enabled consumption of an additional food source (milk) during the winter, improving survival.
Analysis of Neolithic remains, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests no European adults could digest the drink at that time. University College London scientists say that the rapid spread of a gene which lets us reap the benefits of milk shows evolution in action.
[…] Today, more than 90% of people of northern European origin have the gene.
(via BoingBoing)
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This is new news?
Wierd.
PBS had a show on the Vikings, Greenland and Vinland years ago where one of the major issues of conflict was the Vikings bringing cattle and such and milk products to NA, and that the natives were not Lactose tolerent and became very sick.
Making people sick is not a good way is not a good way to try and impress the neighbors as it were.
Well, it’s been known for a while that many folks outside of Europe tend toward lactose-intolerance. What’s new in this story is some DNA analysis about how recent an acquisition that was for the Europeans.