Population genetics articles from across Nature Portfolio

BMI contributes to various diseases, but it was unclear whether the risk was mediated by BMI itself. Here, the authors demonstrate that BMI mediates most of this risk, and suggest an upper bound on disease risk that can be mitigated by lowering BMI.

Using biobank data from over 250,000 participants, the authors present a detailed picture of regional and individual variation in the tripartite ancestral structure of modern Japanese populations and demonstrate its impact on elevated body mass index.

Analysis of the genomes and spatiotemporal distribution of Yersinia pestis in Inner Mongolia, China, reveals its genetic diversity and dual transmission patterns, including localized short-distance spread and long-distance dispersals.

The Australian bearded dragon is so called for its distinctive ‘beard’ of spiky scales that can darken and expand during social and defensive displays. This lizard has become a reptilian model system to study the evolution, function and dynamics of neurons and neural circuits (including during sleep) in the amniote brain.

Abderrahman Khila highlights an important 2015 paper by Barson et al. that demonstrated how sexual conflict in Atlantic salmon affects genetic evolution.

Lingzhao Fang recalls how a 2002 paper by Brem et al., which investigated the genetic basis of natural variation in gene expression in budding yeast, and the GTEx atlas of genetic regulatory effects across human tissues inspired the FarmGTEx project to accelerate precision agriculture.

To understand the genetic basis of disease, it is essential to study diverse populations. We conducted the largest study to date of African men to evaluate the evolutionary genetics and causes of prostate cancer. Our findings reveal novel genetic associations, including those that were not observed in studies of non-African populations.

Bolognini et al. report evidence of positive selection for human amylase gene duplications associated with the agricultural revolution.