Ancient Gene Recreated From Modern Descendants

Geneticists are becoming so proficient that they can not only show evolution in action – they can show it in reverse. The experimental success could suggest a new approach for gene therapy, the researchers say, though any applications are a long way off.

Many of the genes in humans and animals are descendants of ancient genes that have duplicated, mutated and changed their function. Petr Tvrdik and Mario Capecchi, at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, US, have now managed to demonstrate this by recreating an ancient gene from two of its modern descendants.