Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 24 August 2007:
Vol. 317. no. 5841, p. 1032
DOI: 10.1126/science.317.5841.1032a
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Letters

Another Threat to Borneo's Rainforests?
Francis Q. Brearley
Ocean Acidification and Scleractinian Corals
George D. Stanley Jr.; Response Maoz Fine and Dan Tchernov
Trait or State?
John C. Crabbe and Christopher L. Cunningham; Response Jeffrey W. Dalley, Barry J. Everitt, Trevor W. Robbins
Stepping Down from the CIHR
Alan Bernstein
Corrections and Clarifications
Technical Comment Abstracts


How to Submit a Letter to the Editor


Technical Comment Abstracts

space
COMMENT ON PAPERS by Evans et al. and Mekel-Bobrov et al. on Evidence for Positive Selection of MCPH1 and ASPM
Nicholas Timpson, Jon Heron, George Davey Smith, Wolfgang Enard
Abstract: Evans et al. and Mekel-Bobrov et al. (Reports, 9 September 2005, pp. 1717 and 1720, respectively) reported that human genetic variants of Microcephalin (MCPH1) and abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated (ASPM) are under strong positive selection. We geno-typed these variants in 9000 children and find no meaningful associations with brain size and various cognitive measures, which indicates that contrary to previous speculation, ASPM and MCPH1 have not been selected for brain-related effects.

Full text at www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5841/1036a

 

RESPONSE TO COMMENT by Timpson et al. and Yu et al.
Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov and Bruce T. Lahn
Abstract: The lack of association of the ASPM and MCPH1 genes with brain size or intelligence described by Timpson et al. has been reported previously, including by our own group. Moreover, as in most studies of selection, our analyses were entirely independent of phenotypic association. We also respond to the previously published comment by Yu et al., which argued that ASPM has not undergone positive selection.

Full text at www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5841/1036b

 

To Advertise     Find Products

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