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Ex Africa semper aliquid novi

December 7, 2007 by beelore

(There is always something new out of Africa.)

from Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79)

Last year, scientists worked out that all honey bees originally came from Africa. By looking at variations in genetic markers from 341 bees, researchers found that the common honey bee, Apis mellifera, originated in Africa and migrated to Europe at least twice.

“The migrations resulted in two European populations that are geographically close, but genetically quite different,” said lead study author Charles Whitfield from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “In fact, the two European populations are more related to honey bees in Africa than to each other.”

Entomologist Charles A. Whitfield lead the research team that says”every honey bee alive today had a common ancestor in Africa.” (Photo courtesy Institute for Genomic Biology)

From: http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/06/1025whitfield.html

and: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061025181534.htm