In previous posts, I reviewed some of the evidence suggesting that human evolution has accelerated rapidly since the development of agriculture (and to some degree, before it). Europeans (and other lineages with a long history of agriculture) carry known genetic adaptations to the Neolithic diet, and there are probably many adaptations that have not yet been identified. In my final post in this series, I'll argue that although we've adapted, the adaptation is probably not complete, and we're left in a sort of genetic limbo between the Paleolithic and Neolithic state.
Recent Genetic Adaptations are Often Crude
It may at first seem strange, but many genes responsible for common genetic disorders show evidence of positive selection. In other words, the genes that cause these disorders were favored by evolution at some point because they presumably provided a survival advantage. For example, the sickle cell anemia gene protects against malaria, but if you inherit two copies of it, you end up with a serious and life-threatening disorder (1). The cystic fibrosis gene may have been selected to protect against one or more infectious diseases, but again if you get two copies of it, quality of life and lifespan are greatly curtailed (2, 3). Familial Mediterranean fever is a very common disorder in Mediterranean populations, involving painful inflammatory attacks of the digestive tract, and sometimes a deadly condition called amyloidosis. It shows evidence of positive selection and probably protected against intestinal disease due to the heightened inflammatory state it confers to the digestive tract (4, 5). Celiac disease, a severe autoimmune reaction to gluten found in some grains, may be a by-product of selection for protection against bacterial infection (6). Phenylketonuria also shows evidence of positive selection (7), and the list goes on. It's clear that a lot of our recent evolution was in response to new disease pressures, likely from increased population density, sendentism, and contact with domestic animals.
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HTC new phone sales delayed in U.S.
HTC said in a statement on Wednesday that "the U.S. availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC (International Trade Commission) exclusion order".
Apple scored a narrow victory against HTC in a patent lawsuit in December over technology in the smartphones, one of many patent disputes in the fiercely competitive market.
Under that ruling, HTC phones with the technology covered by the lawsuit would be banned from the U.S. from April 19. HTC has said that it had a workaround to avoid the disputed technology, however all new phones are still required to undergo customs review.
Some shipments of the phones had reached the U.S. before the ban date, enabling their launch, but further shipments are being delayed, an HTC official in Taipei said.
In a separate statement, the company said it believes it is "in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with customs to secure approval".
HTC shares fell 4.3 percent on Wednesday, in a broader market down 1,2 percent.
U.S. operator Sprint originally scheduled to launch HTC EVO 4G LTE on Friday and it has been taking pre-orders on its website, while AT&T, which has been carrying the One X model in store since May 6, says the smartphone is "out of stock" on its website.
Sprint and AT&T both declined to comment.
"Previously, it was expected that general exclusion order from the patent infringement referred to only old models from HTC. However, the latest news suggest otherwise with all models (new and old) potentially at risk," Goldman Sachs said in a trading note to clients seen by Reuters.
It said the U.S. market was expected to account for 15-20 percent of HTC's second-quarter shipments, and this delay might post potential downside risk to company's earnings this quarter and possibly in the third quarter, depending on how quickly HTC could resolve the issue.
Last month, HTC Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou said HTC wouldn't return to the days when more than 50 percent of its revenue came from the United States, a market where it saw a big drop last year because of the fierce competition from Apple's iPhone 4S.
NBA Playoff Schedule, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Whether you're tuning in for the star power of Bryant and Kevin Durant, the startling play of Russell Westbrook or the tension between Metta World Peace and James Harden, there's a lot to like about this series. Here's the way the full series looks laid out over a full seven game stretch.
LAKERS vs. THUNDER - COMPLETE ROUND TWO SCHEDULE
Game 1 - May 14 (Mon) L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City 8:30PM TNT
Game 2 - May 16 (Wed) L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City 8:30PM TNT
Game 3 - May 18 (Fri) Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers 9:30PM ESPN
Game 4 - May 19 (Sat) Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers 9:30PM TNT
Game 5 * May 21 (Mon) L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City TBD TNT
Game 6 * May 23 (Wed) Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers TBD ESPN
Game 7 * May 27 (Sun) L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City TBD TNT
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