Appreciate, Be grateful: Care and Don’t forget

Appreciate, Be Grateful: Care and Don’t Forget

One simply cannot undermine the existence or the hard work of our ancestors — bits of which have made our lives so much easier and more comfortable today. Whether it was during warfare, surviving harsh plagues and famines, or serious diseases — their strength and stability ensured our survival.

Geneticists are among the group that have benefited the most from the knowledge of ancestry. Any family history, background on origin, helps create a genetic database for the region and people around — a gold mine of information for future generations that could help immensely in diagnosing any genetic predisposition, understanding underlying health risks, and learning more about their strengths and abilities.

Survival of the Fittest

Why aren’t we “apes” anymore? Because our ancestors evolved. A progressive race, we moved and are still going at breakneck speed post the Industrial Revolution. Nature helped too by sparing only those who could deal and adapt with the changing environment — thereby establishing a new race, new origin, and the gift of ancestry to the twenty-first century version of us.

Diversity

Human settlements weren’t many in the earlier days. They lived and bred together, confining their genes to a certainty. But with new lands, the search for new resources, and battles came the great migration. The change in environment, new relationships, and new areas brought about the diversity we see today — from differences in height and skin colour to eye colour and texture.

Genetic Traits

Research shows that populations exhibit specific different profiles, based on demographics, breeding practices, and the availability of resources. The ever-changing dynamics between nature (genes) and nurture (environment) bring a high level of variation in physical appearance and physiology. We are surrounded by living examples — global differences in height (East vs West), high incidence of disease in certain founder populations, and many more.

“One generation plants the trees and another gets the shade.”

Take a moment today — look into the mirror and see who you resemble the most in your family. Where do your looks, your smile, that fun-filled attitude come from? Whose genes gave you those gorgeous dimples, amazing curls, and brilliant height?