The topic has its origins in the study of human blood groups and the realisation that this classical genetic marker provides information about the relationships between linguistic and ethnic groupings.
The authors enquired whether the favorable impact of irisin on white adipose tissue might be associated with maintenance of telomere length, a well-established genetic marker in the aging process.
This situation can be important if, for example, the genetic marker is linked to a disease locus with a strong selection against heterozygous individuals.