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Study Finds 479 Genes Shaped by Selection, Including Celiac Mutation

5/19/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. geneticist David Reich and his team published a Nature study showing natural selection acted on many human genes in the past 10,000 years.
Analyzing DNA from 15,836 ancient remains, they identified 479 variants favored by selection, estimating thousands more remain undetected.
A mutation that raises celiac disease risk first appeared about 4,000 years ago, affecting roughly 80 million people worldwide today.

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Story summary

U.S. geneticist David Reich and his team published a Nature study showing natural selection acted on many human genes in the past 10,000 years.
Analyzing DNA from 15,836 ancient remains, they identified 479 variants favored by selection, estimating thousands more remain undetected.
A mutation that raises celiac disease risk first appeared about 4,000 years ago, affecting roughly 80 million people worldwide today.