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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Expansion and Enrichment of Gamma-Delta (γδ) T Cells from Apheresed Human Product
11:51

Expansion and Enrichment of Gamma-Delta (γδ) T Cells from Apheresed Human Product

Published on: September 22, 2021

The great human expansion.

Brenna M Henn1, L L Cavalli-Sforza, Marcus W Feldman

  • 1Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|October 19, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Modern human origins trace back to a major African expansion 45,000-60,000 years ago, leading to reduced genetic diversity globally due to the serial founder effect.

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Expansion Microscopy: High-Resolution Fluorescent Imaging with a Conventional Microscope
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Published on: September 22, 2021

Expansion Microscopy: High-Resolution Fluorescent Imaging with a Conventional Microscope
08:53

Expansion Microscopy: High-Resolution Fluorescent Imaging with a Conventional Microscope

Published on: December 19, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Human Evolution
  • Population Genetics
  • Paleoanthropology

Background:

  • Human origins involve a significant demographic and geographic expansion from Africa.
  • This expansion, starting 45,000-60,000 years ago, led to global human settlement.
  • Genomic data reveal a continuous loss of genetic diversity, known as the serial founder effect.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review advances in understanding human genetic diversity within Africa.
  • To examine the great human expansion out of Africa.
  • To propose hypotheses for a synthetic view of modern human evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of genetic and paleoanthropological evidence.
  • Examination of genomic data from contemporary humans.
  • Integration of data from human parasites, morphology, and linguistics.

Main Results:

  • African populations retain exceptional genetic variants due to substructure.
  • Populations outside Africa show a dramatic reduction in genetic diversity.
  • The serial founder effect model is supported by diverse evidence.

Conclusions:

  • Human population history, shaped by hunter-gatherer factors, explains current genetic variation patterns.
  • Reconciling major expansion with subsequent stability requires further investigation.
  • Understanding these patterns is crucial for medical genetics and evolutionary studies.