Pontic Steppes
Mult Sclerosis
Genetics
QTM 490R
Ancient DNA
100

This genetic ancestry is most strongly associated with the current genetic risk for multiple sclerosis

What is Steppe pastoralist?

100

This region of Chromosome 6 is associated with a risk for MS

What is the HLA region?

100

This term describes when there is a non-random association of alleles at different loci; certain combinations of alleles inherited more or less frequently than expected by chance

What is linkage disequilibrium?

100

This mathematical model,  p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1,  describes how allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant over generations

What is the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

100

This recently extinct animal's genome was sequenced from a well-preserved specimen found in the permafrost

What is the woolly mammoth?

200

This term refers to a person who herds sheep or cattle, often moving with their animals in search of grazing land

What is a pastoralist?

200

Approximately this many years ago, pastoralists from the Pontic Steppe migrated to Europe

What is 5,000 years?

200

This term describes groups of alleles that are inherited together due to close physical proximity on the same chromosome

What is a haplotype?

200

This population genetics term describes alleles that are the same between two individuals due to transmission from a common ancestor in the past few generations 

What is identity by descent?

200

This acronym stands for the genetic material recovered from ancient remains, often used in studies of human ancestors

What is aDNA?

300

This culture, emerging around 5,000 years ago on the Pontic Steppes, is believed to be one of the first groups to practice a fully nomadic, pastoral lifestyle, raising cattle, sheep, and horses

What is the Yamnaya culture?

300

This body system is the most affected by MS

What is the central nervous system?

300

You expect a ____ (high/low) LDA when the haplotype is often broken up. 

What is low?

300

This British geneticist established that dominant, advantageous alleles are more likely to fix in a population than recessive alleles

Who is Haldane?

300

This ancient hominin species, discovered in a Siberian cave and closely related to Neanderthals, was first identified through its DNA, not its fossil remains

What is a Denisovan?

400

This body of water borders the Pontic Steppe region, shown on the map in purple

What is the Black Sea?

400

These 3 Northern European countries are associated with high prevalence of MS

What are Iceland, Sweden, and Finland?

400

This term uses a person’s genomic information to estimate the likelihood of developing a particular trait or disease.

What is a polygenic risk score?

400

This non-random mating pattern describes that individuals with more similar phenotypes are more likely to mate

What is assortative mating?

400

This is the approximate age of the oldest DNA recovered from a Neanderthal

What is 400,000 years old?

500

This is the number of square miles that the Pontic Steppe region covers.

What is 579,000 square miles?

500

Genetic factors are expected to explain this percentage of risk for MS

What is 30%?

500

The term describes the evolutionary process where beneficial traits increase in population frequency over time

What is positive selection?
500

This term, often referred to as a “genetic fossil,” describes a gene that has lost its function, perhaps due to an evolved trait that is no longer beneficial

What is a pseudogene?

500

This temperature condition is best for DNA preservation

What is -112° F?