A gene that mutated 1500 years ago is causing cases of gigantism in people from Northern Ireland.
The gene causes the body of those who carry it to grow excessively. It was found to be the cause of the man known as the 'Irish Giant', Charles Byrne, to grow to almost 8 feet in the 18th century, giving him fame.
The gene is still causing people to grow taller than average in the same area that the Irish Giant came from. It is believed that the gene comes from one ancestor that lived 66 generations ago, and is now found in 200 - 300 people today.
To find out more:
Original paper: Harvinder et al (2011). AIP mutation in pituitary adenomas in the 18th century and today. The New England Journal of Medicine.
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