Researchers Find 'Junk' DNA Form Human Opposable Thumb, Yale University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Genome Institute of Singapore Study

EurekAlert -- Scientists have discovered a gene enhancer, known as HACNS1, that may have contributed to the evolution of the uniquely opposable human thumb, and possibly also modifications in the ankle or foot that allow humans to walk on two legs, according to a paper published in Science on Sept. 5, 2008. This study is the first to provide evidence of the existence of human-specific gene enhancers, which are switches near genes in the human genome.