Latest research results from Mattias Jakobsson and his colleagues at the Human Evolution Program were featured on local TV (18 Apr 2026).
By examining DNA from thousands of years-old bone fragments, researchers have found genetic changes that were present in prehistoric humans – and in us today. The researchers also made a surprising discovery: several of the changes are related to kidney function.
A study from Uppsala University was recently published in the scientific journal Nature. The study is the largest to date of ancient African DNA.
The researchers found genetic changes present in both prehistoric humans and humans today that they believe have been important for human development. Some changes in the immune system and the brain were to be expected; however, genetic variants linked to kidney function were also found. And that was surprising. Nothing like this has anyone else seen before.
– Humans have a unique ability to cool down our bodies through sweating. And then one can imagine that the function of the kidneys and the body’s ability to regulate fluid were crucial for, for example, long-distance hunting, says Mattias Jakobsson in the interview with the reporters.
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