The Anthropology Unit makes the cover of "G3"

Christelle Vangenot, Médéric Mouterde, Alicia Sanchez-Mazas and Estella Poloni make the cover of “G3” magazine : did controlled use of fire impact the evolution of human genomic diversity ?

This hypothesis is put forward in a study from Estella Poloni’s group, that evidenced a divergent evolution of chimpanzees and other great apes from humans in a small gene family involved in the detoxification of molecules produced when organic matter is burned. The entire phenomenon of food processing, which is intimately linked to the handling of fire, and thus represents a major distinctive human feature, may have exposed human ancestors to new, food-borne carcinogens and other toxic molecules seldom encountered in the diets of other primate species.

See the Cover