Story perspectives

Andean Indigenous People Boast Highest AMY1 Gene Copies

5/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers reported in Nature Communications that Indigenous Andean peoples average ten AMY1 copies, the highest among 85 populations.
They calculated that each extra AMY1 copy provides a 1.24 percent survival or reproductive advantage per generation.
Genomic analysis revealed strong selection signals around the amylase region, indicating natural selection drove the increase.
The elevated AMY1 copies existed thousands of years before European contact, ruling out recent collapse as the cause.

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Story summary

Researchers reported in Nature Communications that Indigenous Andean peoples average ten AMY1 copies, the highest among 85 populations.
They calculated that each extra AMY1 copy provides a 1.24 percent survival or reproductive advantage per generation.
Genomic analysis revealed strong selection signals around the amylase region, indicating natural selection drove the increase.
The elevated AMY1 copies existed thousands of years before European contact, ruling out recent collapse as the cause.