QQuestionBiology
QuestionBiology
Q^5. Humans carry a variety of non-functional genetic sequences, called processed pseudogenes, in their DNA. We can estimate how long ago these sequences first appeared in the genomes of our ancestors. In humans, processed pseudogenes include the three options below. Which of these would be least widespread among other primate species?
alpha-enolase psi ( 11 million years old)
AS psi ( 16 million years old)
CALM II psi ( 36 million years old)
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Answer
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Step 1:I'll solve this step-by-step:
Step 2:: Understand the Context
- Processed pseudogenes are non-functional genetic sequences in DNA - The age of a pseudogene indicates when it first appeared in ancestral genomes - The question asks which pseudogene would be least widespread among primates
Step 3:: Analyze the Pseudogene Ages
- alpha-enolase psi: 11 million years old - AS psi: 16 million years old - CALM II psi: 36 million years old
Step 4:: Determine Primate Evolutionary Timeline
- Older pseudogenes (like CALM II at 36 million years) would have had more time to spread across primate species - Younger pseudogenes (like alpha-enolase at 11 million years) would have had less time to become widespread
Step 5:: Reasoning
- The youngest pseudogene (alpha-enolase at 11 million years) would likely be the least widespread among primate species - It has had the least amount of time to propagate through different primate lineages
Final Answer
alpha-enolase psi would be the least widespread among other primate species due to its relatively recent origin of 11 million years ago.
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