It had 10 pairs of ribs — two fewer than the normal human complement — and an elongated skull with a pronounced point. Still other mutations may have arisen spontaneously — a mystery that, in the absence of Ata’s parents’ genes, will probably endure. Some of the genetic mutations they found have not been recorded before — not so surprising in a field in which the function of most genes, and of whole genetic regions, remains a mystery. “But maybe there’s more than one thing wrong.”Nolan, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford, sees other lessons emerging from Ata’s tiny remains. By offering evidence for the combined effects of recognized genetic mutations, the study of Ata might guide medical scientists in devising ways to grow bone more quickly.

Source: thestar March 22, 2018 19:18 UTC