Autor: verracus
lunes, 20 de marzo de 2006
Sección: Artículos generales
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En busca del patrimonio genético

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En el número de agosto de la revista National Geographic he encontrado una serie de notas curiosas sobre la trayectoria genética de la Humanidad. Dichas notas están sacadas de un proyecto (Genographic) que dirige un tal Spencer Wells. En concreto son siete:

1. Hadzabe. Este grupo de cazadores-recolectores viven en Tanzania, y habla una lengua con clic (consonante oclusiva) relacionada con la de los san de África meridional. Los datos indican que los san y los hadzabe se hallan entre las poblaciones humanas intactas más antiguas de nuestro planeta.

2. Pensadores modernos. El cambio climático durante la última glaciación casi aniquiló a nuestra especie; sólo unos 2.000 individuos sobrevivieron hace unos 70.000 años. Para ello tuvieron que desarrollar comportamientos, como el uso de herramientas, a fin de adaptarse a diferentes climas.

3. Beluja. Es el techo de la cordillera siberiana del Altái. Según leyendas locales, la civilización renacerá aquí después de autodestruirse. Puede que estos mitos no sean tan inverosímiles: esta región fue origen de migraciones de pueblos que empezaron hace 35.000 años, entre ellas las que condujeron al asentamiento en gran parte de Eurasia y América.

4. Yagnob. En otro tiempo lengua franca comercial a lo largo de la Ruta de la Seda, ahora sólo la habla un reducido grupo en Asia Central y está desapareciendo con rapidez. Más de la mitad de las 6.000 lenguas del mundo se extinguirán a finales de siglo.

5. Gengis Kan. Según pruebas de ADN, alrededor del 8% de los hombres del centro y del este de Asia desciende de este jefe mongol del siglo XII.

6. Jericó. Este yacimiento del valle del Jordán abre una ventana a la vida neolítica de hace 10.000 años, cuando los humanos se establecieron como agricultores. Muchas muestras de variación genética provienen de expansiones de la población propiciadas por el desarrollo de la agricultura.

7. Fenicios. Pruebas de ADN efectuadas en Líbano revelan que los musulmanes y los cristianos que viven allí hoy día comparten sus antepasados fenicios, que se remontan más de 5.000 años.

Por cierto, en la misma página he visto que se puede colAborar en el proyecto. Por $100 aproximadamente te envían un "kit" para que tu mismo tomes una muestra de tu ADN y lo envíes de vuelta. A cambio recibes información sobre tu patrimonio genético.



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  1. #1 A.M.Canto 27 de mayo de 2006

    Reproduzco una información muy reciente, en la se explica por qué los colectivos indígenas del mundo se oponen al proyecto que Verracus comentaba y que intenta desarrollar, por segunda vez en unos años, una toma generalizada de muestras de ADN. Los interesados consideran que se debe a un "racismo científico", y que constituye un acto de intrusión y de "piratería genética":

    Indigenous Peoples Oppose the 'Genographic Project'

    Indigenous Peoples Oppose National Geographic & IBM Genetic Research Project that Seeks Indigenous Peoples' DNA

    Dated: May 20, 2006
    Released by: Indigenous Peoples Council on
    Biocolonialism
    Contact: Debra Harry, Director
    Tel: (775) 338-5983

    http://www.ipcb.org/issues/human_genetics/htmls/geno_pr.html

    (Nixon, NV) The Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (IPCB) is alarmed at the launching of new global genetic research project that will focus on the collection of Indigenous peoples DNA. The National
    Geographic Society and the IBM Corporation announced the launch of the Genographic Project today that
    purports to "help people better understand their ancient history." The project, funded by the Waitt Family Foundation, expects to collect 100,000 DNA samples from Indigenous peoples around the world. The taking of samples will be coordinated by ten worldwide regional research centers. With centers in Australia,
    Brazil, North America and Southeast Asia, Sub-Sahara and South Africa, this project is certain to affect
    many Indigenous peoples around the world.

    The IPCB, an Indigenous organization that addresses issues of biopiracy began its work in 1993 to oppose
    the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), a project so fraught with ethical and scientific problems it failed
    to get endorsement from the National Science Foundation, or UNESCO. Debra Harry, who is Northern
    Paiute and serves as IPCB's Executive Director, noting this new project's similarities with the HGDP, said,
    "This is a recurrent nightmare. It's essentially the same project we defeated years ago. Some of the actors
    are different, but also some are the same. With the founder of the HGDP serving on this new project's
    advisory committee, I can't help but think this is simply a new reiteration of the HGDP."

    The HGDP faced international opposition by Indigenous peoples who considered the project an unconscionable
    attempt by genetic researchers to pirate their DNA for their own means. That experience has led to strong
    advocacy by Indigenous peoples to insure human rights standards are entrenched in research. Cherryl Smith, a
    Maori bioethicist from Aotearoa (New Zealand) said, "Indigenous groups around the world are much more aware
    of biopiracy, and our own human and collective rights in research. In the past ten years, we have developed
    extensive networks of Indigenous peoples who are knowledgeable and active in defense of their rights."

    Le'a Kanehe, a Native Hawaiian who serves as the IPCB's Legal Analyst, gives the example of the Havasupai
    Tribe, who filed a lawsuit in 2004 against Arizona State University for the taking and misuse of their genetic samples. "Indigenous peoples are holding scientists accountable for use of their genetic material without prior informed consent, which is the accepted legal standard." The tribe authorized diabetes research, but later discovered their samples were used for schizophrenia, inbreeding and migration theories.

    The Genographic Project press release claims that an international advisory board will oversee the selection
    of Indigenous populations for testing as well as adhering to strict sampling and research protocols. The
    HGDP was unable to secure federal or UN support for failure to meet ethical concerns and standards. The
    Genographic Project has striking similarities to the HGDP. Dr. Jonathan Marks, genetic anthropologist and
    board member of the IPCB, said, "The HGDP was terminated because of intractable bioethical issues.
    Have IBM and National Geographic been able to remedy those issues? I don't think so." Harry is similarly
    concerned that the Genographic Project is an attempt to escape public and legal scrutiny by going private.

    Kanehe says that "It's interesting how in the past racist scientists, such as those in the eugenics movement, did studies asserting that we are biologically inferior to them; and now, they are saying their research will show that we're all related to each other and share common origins. Both ventures are based on racist science and produce invalid, yet damaging conclusions About Indigenous cultures."

    IPCB Chairperson Judy Gobert (Blackfoot), said, "These kinds of projects have to stretch to claim any tangible
    benefits to Indigenous peoples. Somehow, the Genographic Project has led its Indigenous participants
    to believe its work will insure their people's cultural preservation. There is a huge disconnect between
    genetic research and cultural preservation." Smith says, "If they really want to help promote Indigenous
    peoples cultures there are more productive ways and methods for doing so."

    Noting the project's goal to map the migratory history of humankind through DNA, Marla Big Boy, a Lakota
    attorney on IPCB's board, says, "Our creation stories and languages carry information About our genealogy and
    ancestors. We don't need genetic testing to tell us where we come from." Big Boy notes with concern that
    the project proposes to do studies on ancient DNA. "We will not stand by while our ancestors are desecrated in
    the name of scientific discovery."

    The IPCB is calling on all Indigenous peoples, and our friends and colleagues to join in an international
    boycott of IBM, Gateway Computers (the source of the Waitt family fortune), and National Geographic until
    it's demand that this project be abandoned are met. Harry said, "We are prepared to stop projects that
    treat us as scientific curiosities. We must act to protect our most vulnerable communities from this unwanted intrusion. We resisted the HGDP, and we will defeat this proposal as well."

    For more information contact:
    Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonism
    ipcb@ipcb.org
    www.ipcb.org

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