Famine and disease drove the evolution of lactose tolerance in Europe

Prehistoric people in Europe were consuming milk thousands of years before humans evolved the genetic trait allowing us to digest the milk sugar lactose as adults, finds a new study. The research, published in Nature, mapped pre-historic patterns of milk use over the last 9,000 years, offering new insights into milk consumption and the evolution of lactose tolerance.
Source: University of Bristol news - Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Health, Research; Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry; Press Release Source Type: news