READ: Grad Christian Gagnon and Prof. Schmitt’s publication
Congratulations to graduate student Christian Gagnon and Professor Christopher Schmitt on their new publication!
“Evidence of selection in the uncoupling protein 1 gene region suggests local adaptation to solar irradiance in savanna monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.)” was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B on September 14. Their research found evidence for selection in the UCP1 gene of savanna monkeys, which is responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis (a process by which the body burns fat to create heat). Surprisingly, they found that this selection is most significantly related to low levels of solar irradiance. Savanna monkeys often sunbathe in the cold southern winters to stay warm, and so monkeys in areas with low solar irradiance may have evolved more efficient non-shivering thermogenesis to stay warm.