Beyond single-trait analysis: ancient genomes reveal coordinated evolution of dietary endophenotypes in Holocene Europe

Four coordinated dietary endophenotype systems—covering adiposity/metabolism, body composition, fatty-acid metabolism, and food-related behaviours—shifted significantly across Holocene Europe, including increases in docosahexaenoic acid metabolism.

• Why it matters: Diet is a major selective force, but adaptation is often analyzed one trait at a time, leaving how interconnected dietary traits evolved as systems largely unresolved.
• What they did: The study integrated GWAS data for 58 diet-related phenotypes with genomes from 938 ancient Europeans over the last 10,000 years to reconstruct endophenotype evolution.
• The result: Multiple endophenotypes showed temporal shifts from neutrality, with coordinated decreases in genetic architectures for adiposity, insulin regulation, and lipid metabolism, plus increases in docosahexaenoic acid metabolism, varying geographically across Europe.