A new variant class of the gene ASMP, involved in brain size,
arose about 5,800 years ago and now shows up in approximately 30
percent of today's humans. This coincides with the oldest-known
civilization, Mesopotamia, which dates back to 7000 BC. This time
window is extraordinarily short in evolutionary terms, showing
the speed of natural selection in human evolution.
Lead researcher: Bruce Lahn, University of Chicago.
This speed must be expected to apply to nutritional genes too.
For comparison, controlled fire (cooking) is unmistakable by 200k
years ago and was widespread by 100k. Even agriculture is older
than Mesopotamia.