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Science 6 February 2009:
Vol. 323. no. 5915, p. 714
DOI: 10.1126/science.1165848
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Technical Comments

Comment on "Human-Specific Gain of Function in a Developmental Enhancer"

Laurent Duret1* and Nicolas Galtier2

Prabhakar et al. (Reports, 5 September 2008, p. 1346) argued that the conserved noncoding sequence HACNS1 has undergone positive selection and contributed to human adaptation. However, the pattern of substitution in HACNS1 is more consistent with the neutral process of biased gene conversion (BGC). The reported human-specific gain of function is likely due to the accumulation of deleterious mutations driven by BGC, not positive selection.

1 Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
2 Université Montpellier 2, CNRS UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Place E. Bataillon, CC64-34095 Montpellier, France.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: duret{at}biomserv.univ-lyon1.fr

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)