Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Pompeu Fabra University, and Illumina analyzed the genomes of 233 nonhuman primate species, discovering 4.3 million common missense mutations. They found significant genetic diversity among primates, particularly across regions and taxonomies. This diversity is crucial for human evolution and disease research, as well as primate conservation. Notably, hybridization in baboons revealed genetic input from three lineages, potentially shedding light on early hominins. Moreover, 6% of identified mutations were likely benign in human disease, and rare mutations absent in primates were more likely to cause human diseases, halving the number of human-exclusive genomic innovations.
