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2016 : WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST INTERESTING RECENT [SCIENTIFIC] NEWS? WHAT MAKES IT IMPORTANT? [1]

In the News [ 22 ] [2]
  |  
Contributors [ 199 ] [3]   |   View All Responses [ 199 ] [4]
[5]
David Haig [5]
George Putnam Professor of Biology, Harvard University; Author, Genomic Imprinting and Kinship
Human Chimeras

A man (non-dad) conceived a child that did not match his (non-dad's) genotype, but the child's DNA was consistent with the child being the grandson of dad's parents. The proposed explanation is that dad had a twin brother (twin-dad) who was never born but whose cells colonized non-dad's testes when non-dad was a fetus. The cells of twin-dad produced the sperm that conceived the child.

In the modern era of sensitive genetic testing, multiple examples of chimerism are being detected where chimerism refers to a body containing cells derived from more than one fertilized egg. All of us probably contain replicating cells from more than one member of our genetic family. A distinction should be made between bodily individuals (who are chimeric) and genetic individuals who may be distributed across multiple bodies.

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Links:
[1] https://www.edge.org/annual-question/what-do-you-consider-the-most-interesting-recent-scientific-news-what-makes-it
[2] https://www.edge.org/inthenews/what-do-you-consider-the-most-interesting-recent-scientific-news-what-makes-it
[3] https://www.edge.org/contributors/what-do-you-consider-the-most-interesting-recent-scientific-news-what-makes-it
[4] https://www.edge.org/responses/what-do-you-consider-the-most-interesting-recent-scientific-news-what-makes-it
[5] https://www.edge.org/memberbio/david_haig