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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring Sex-Specific Glial Signatures and Therapeutic Leads for Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: May 20, 2024
Genomic signatures of sex-biased demography: progress and prospects
Timothy H Webster1, Melissa A Wilson Sayres2
1School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
Abstract:
Sex-biased demographic events have played a crucial role in shaping human history. Many of these processes affect genetic variation and can therefore leave detectable signatures in the genome because autosomal, X-linked, Y-linked, and mitochondrial DNA inheritance differ between sexes. Here, we discuss how sex-biased processes shape patterns of genetic diversity across the genome, review recent genomic evidence for sex-biased demography in modern human populations, and suggest directions for future research.
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