The article whose abstract follows gives some support to the idea
that some of us may be to some degree "post-paleolithic"
genetically.

Todd Moody
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J Mol Med 1998 Jul;76(8):568-71

The thrifty-genotype hypothesis and its implications for the
study of complex genetic disorders in man.

Sharma AM

Medizinische Klinik IV, Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie
Universitat Berlin, Germany.

According to the "thrifty-genotype" hypothesis proposed by Neel,
diseases of civilization such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus and hypertension result from a discordance between
certain features of our present-day environment and our genetic
make-up which evolved to fit the life of Paleolithic humans. This
concept implies that while "affected" individuals harbor the
"original" ancestral version of the relevant genes, healthy or
"unaffected" individuals have picked up recent mutations leading
to a "loss of thriftiness" of these genes. Support for this
concept now comes from recent studies of the angiotensinogen
gene, where an ancestral variant of the gene (AGT 235T), also
present in primates, has now been associated with hypertension
whereas a neomorphic variant (AGT 235M) apparently reduces the
risk of high blood pressure. The implications of these findings
for our understanding and approach to the study of complex
genetic diseases is discussed.

UI: 98357806