Besenbacher and his colleagues were unintentionally unearthing the dirty secrets of gorilla families because they were interested in mutation rates—how often new changes in DNA appear.

A UB-led research team has found that, indeed, some of the same genes whose mutations gave rise to a low-functioning male gorilla reproductive system may also be responsible for human male infertility ...

This process, called "relaxed purifying selection," can result in seemingly harmful mutations becoming common in a species. The data turned up 578 genes in the gorilla lineage that underwent this ...

The scientists then pinpointed the mutations in human sex chromosome by comparing each nucleotide variation with sequence data from the chimpanzee and gorilla X chromosome sequences. For example ...

We can then look at those same genes in infertile men and see if they have mutations. 'Here the gorilla genome essentially acts as a discovery tool for finding candidate genes for human male ...

The critically endangered Grauer's gorilla has recently lost genetic diversity and has experienced an increase in harmful mutations, according to researchers who sequenced 11 genomes from eastern ...

The findings showed the Grauer's gorillas have accumulated harmful mutations as the species' genetic diversity significantly declined in just a few generations. The Grauer's gorilla population has ...

Then they could search for any of the other mutations known to cause albinism in animals. The researchers pinned Snowflake’s albinism down to a single gene: SLC45A2. The gorilla inherited the ...

[Photos: Snowflake the Albino Gorilla] In humans, four genetic mutations are known to cause albinism, a syndrome marked by a lack of skin, eye and hair pigment. People with albinism are at high ...

the maternal mutations seem to occur as errors in the repair of DNA breaks. Similar mutational hotspots also exist in the chimpanzee genome and to a lesser extent in the gorilla genome ...

A University at Buffalo-led research team has found that, indeed, some of the same genes whose mutations gave rise to a low functioning male gorilla reproductive system may also be responsible for ...