Little Differences Show Up Big in Gene Expression

“And though she be but little, she is fierce.”
— A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I, ii, 335

I am what some of my friends affectionately call “vertically challenged.” The sun visor in my car is often useless to me and, depending on the chair, my feet don’t always lie flat on the floor. Several of my coworkers at RTB share these trials with me—but though we are short, we hope to help make a big difference in the lives of people RTB reaches.

Likewise, though there is a possible 98–99% genetic similarity between humans and chimps, it’s the little variations that seem to make big differences. As researchers dig deeper into genetic comparisons, a more complex picture emerges.

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Of Hominids and Humans

Do Neanderthals belong in the human family tree?

“You get that from your dad’s side of the family.”

I hear this comment a lot—and with good reason. Of the three daughters born to my parents, I’m most like my father in personality and looks.

Ancestry is an interesting thing. It’s easy to see what traits we’ve inherited from parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. But who else resides in our family tree?