--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In early primates, we can pinpoint a…" description: "\"“In early primates, we can pinpoint a particular ERV integration event into the locus of the pancreatic amylase gene that conferred upon our ancestors ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/michael-g-cordingley-38351_sweet-tooth_in-early-primates-we-can-pinpoint-a-part_912868.jpg" --- # In early primates, we can pinpoint a particular ERV… ![“In early primates, we can pinpoint a particular ERV integration event into the locus of the pancreatic amylase gene that conferred upon our ancestors the ability to express their amylase genes in the salivary gland. This heritable change provided for tissue-specific expression of the gene and gave…” quote by Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/michael-g-cordingley-38351_sweet-tooth_in-early-primates-we-can-pinpoint-a-part_912868.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/michael-g-cordingley-38351_sweet-tooth_in-early-primates-we-can-pinpoint-a-part_912868.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/michael-g-cordingley-38351_sweet-tooth_in-early-primates-we-can-pinpoint-a-part_912868.jpg) > ““In early primates, we can pinpoint a particular ERV integration event into the locus of the pancreatic amylase gene that conferred upon our ancestors the ability to express their amylase genes in the salivary gland. This heritable change provided for tissue-specific expression of the gene and gave us our sweet tooth. Here, the introduction of new gene regulatory DNA sequences close to the transcriptional start site of the amylase gene allowed salivary secretion of amylase. The resulting phenotype must have offered advantages to primates as they developed a diet containing more complex carbohydrates.”” [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A specific viral DNA insertion enabled primates to produce salivary amylase, supporting carbohydrate digestion and a preference for sweet foods. **In simple terms:** A gene change gave early humans a sweet tooth by allowing enzyme production in saliva. Key Takeaway Recognize how genetic tweaks shape diet and behavior. Themes evolution genetics diet adaptation Mood curious analytical Type scientific informative When to use this quote - anthropology research - nutrition studies - genetic engineering - dietary counseling Key Concepts gene regulation viral integration phenotypic change Questions to Reflect On - How do genetic and cultural factors interact in shaping diet? - What other genes might have similar regulatory shifts? A Different Perspective Other factors like cultural practices also influence sweet preferences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amylase Gene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amylase-gene-1350478/) [Amylase Genes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amylase-genes-1350477/) [Genes Salivary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes-salivary-1350479/) [New Gene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-gene-1350481/) [Secretion Amylase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretion-amylase-1350480/) [Sweet tooth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet-tooth/) ## Related quotes > [Baby you tell me what you want and I will put it down in the bedroom to please you, when I take it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-coleman/baby-you-tell-me-what-you-want-and-i-will-put-it-down-in-the-bedroom/) [Damian Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-coleman/) > [I have the biggest sweet tooth! You name it, I will eat it. My all-time favorite is my mother's butter cake. Every time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-strahan/i-have-the-biggest-sweet-tooth-you-name-it-i-will-eat-it-my-all-time/) [Michael Strahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-strahan/) > [Luckily, I don't have a sweet tooth nor I eat rice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiten-tejwani/luckily-i-don-t-have-a-sweet-tooth-nor-i-eat-rice/) [Hiten Tejwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiten-tejwani/) > [I have a pretty terrible sweet tooth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-kennedy-iii/i-have-a-pretty-terrible-sweet-tooth/) [Joe Kennedy III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-kennedy-iii/) > [I have a sweet tooth. I love dessert, and if somebody makes me one, I'm going to have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rafferty/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-i-love-dessert-and-if-somebody-makes-me-one-i-m/) [Sarah Rafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rafferty/) > [I didn't have a sweet tooth, but I liked butter, and I liked sauces, and I liked wine... and curry... and cheeses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-didn-t-have-a-sweet-tooth-but-i-liked-butter-and-i-liked-sauces-and/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [I have a sweet tooth the size of Connecticut. It's a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-nettles/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-the-size-of-connecticut-it-s-a-problem/) [Jennifer Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-nettles/) > [I have a sweet tooth. Milk chocolate with the caramel fillings - that's my guilty pleasure right there. 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I eat fish and vegetables for lunch and dinner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-lauren/it-s-important-for-me-to-eat-really-healthy-because-i-have-such-a/) [Dylan Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-lauren/) > [I love baking cakes and slices and biscuits, but I will only make them if I'm going somewhere with lots of people so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-breeds/i-love-baking-cakes-and-slices-and-biscuits-but-i-will-only-make-them/) [Rebecca Breeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-breeds/) ## More by Michael G Cordingley > [“ERV envelope genes possess unique properties that make them suitable for use in forming the placenta: they are fusogenic proteins and they have immunosuppresive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/erv-envelope-genes-possess-unique-properties-that-make-them-suitable/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“It is also reasonable to speculate that the capacity of prophages to be induced at a low frequency must in itself be advantageous to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/it-is-also-reasonable-to-speculate-that-the-capacity-of-prophages-to/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“Such then is the nature of quasispecies : the density of the sequence cloud at any point in sequence space is determined by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/such-then-is-the-nature-of-quasispecies-the-density-of-the-sequence/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“The litter of ERVs across vertebrate genomes, mainly in the form of defective and deleted proviruses, mutationally inactivated proteins coding sequences, and isolated LTRs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/the-litter-of-ervs-across-vertebrate-genomes-mainly-in-the-form-of/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“The results of the studies opened up a whole new avenue of research into live-attenuated vaccines: synthetic attenuated virus engineering (SAVE). 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Only behavior modification or medical management of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/the-accelerating-pace-of-zoonotic-transmission-of-novel-viruses-into/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“The basis for the potential of all virolytic therapeutics resides in the exquisite selectivity they exhibit for infecting and killing cancer cells. The very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/the-basis-for-the-potential-of-all-virolytic-therapeutics-resides-in/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“Vaccination with a live-attenuated virus vaccine can be compared with the cross-species transmission of viruses that cause zoonotic infection. If the vaccine strain is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/vaccination-with-a-live-attenuated-virus-vaccine-can-be-compared-with/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) > [“Collectively, the veritable zoo of mobile genetic elements comprises a remarkable 40 percent of our genome. The retroviral sequences littered across all vertebrate genomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-cordingley/collectively-the-veritable-zoo-of-mobile-genetic-elements-comprises-a/) [Michael G Cordingley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) [Explore all 12 Michael G Cordingley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-cordingley/) ## More Sweet tooth quotes > [Baby you tell me what you want and I will put it down in the bedroom to please you, when I take it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-coleman/baby-you-tell-me-what-you-want-and-i-will-put-it-down-in-the-bedroom/) [Damian Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-coleman/) > [It's important for me to eat really healthy because I have such a sweet tooth. 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I would have to be dragged in by a lorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-lumley/i-haven-t-got-a-very-sweet-tooth-but-i-love-salted-things-like-nuts-i/) [Joanna Lumley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-lumley/) > [I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-for-song-and-music-this-is-my-polish-sin/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [“Reading Myself" Like thousands I took just pride and more than just, struck matches that brought my blood to a boil; I memorized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/reading-myself-like-thousands-i-took-just-pride-and-more-than-just/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [I have a sweet tooth. Milk chocolate with the caramel fillings - that's my guilty pleasure right there. But I think that's all right;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-wozniacki/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-milk-chocolate-with-the-caramel-fillings-that-s/) [Caroline Wozniacki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-wozniacki/) > [I have a sweet tooth the size of Connecticut. It's a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-nettles/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-the-size-of-connecticut-it-s-a-problem/) [Jennifer Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-nettles/) > [I didn't have a sweet tooth, but I liked butter, and I liked sauces, and I liked wine... and curry... and cheeses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-didn-t-have-a-sweet-tooth-but-i-liked-butter-and-i-liked-sauces-and/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [I have a sweet tooth. I love dessert, and if somebody makes me one, I'm going to have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rafferty/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-i-love-dessert-and-if-somebody-makes-me-one-i-m/) [Sarah Rafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rafferty/) > [I have a pretty terrible sweet tooth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-kennedy-iii/i-have-a-pretty-terrible-sweet-tooth/) [Joe Kennedy III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-kennedy-iii/) > [Luckily, I don't have a sweet tooth nor I eat rice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiten-tejwani/luckily-i-don-t-have-a-sweet-tooth-nor-i-eat-rice/) [Hiten Tejwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiten-tejwani/) > [I have the biggest sweet tooth! You name it, I will eat it. My all-time favorite is my mother's butter cake. Every time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-strahan/i-have-the-biggest-sweet-tooth-you-name-it-i-will-eat-it-my-all-time/) [Michael Strahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-strahan/) > [I love baking cakes and slices and biscuits, but I will only make them if I'm going somewhere with lots of people so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-breeds/i-love-baking-cakes-and-slices-and-biscuits-but-i-will-only-make-them/) [Rebecca Breeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-breeds/) [Browse all 109 Sweet tooth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet-tooth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In early primates, we can pinpoint a particular ERV integration event into the locus of the pancreatic amylase gene that conferred upon our ancestors the ability to express their amylase genes in the salivary gland. 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