Abstract
Solar energy, which is essential for the origin and evolution of all life forms on Earth, can be objectively recorded through attributes such as climatic ambient temperature (CAT), ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and sunlight duration (SD). These attributes have specific geographical variations and may cause different adaptation traits. However, the adaptation profile of each attribute and the selective role of solar energy as a whole during human evolution remain elusive. Here, we performed a genome-wide adaptation study with respect to CAT, UVR, and SD using the Human Genome Diversity Project-Centre Etude Polymorphism Humain (HGDP-CEPH) panel data. We singled out CAT as the most important driving force with the highest number of adaptive loci (6 SNPs at the genome-wide 1 × 10(-7) level; 401 at the suggestive 1 × 10(-5) level). Five of the six genome-wide significant adaptation SNPs were successfully replicated in an independent Chinese population (N = 1395). The corresponding 316 CAT adaptation genes were mostly involved in development and immunity. In addition, 265 (84%) genes were related to at least one genome-wide association study (GWAS)-mapped human trait, being significantly enriched in anthropometric loci such as those associated with body mass index (χ(2); P < 0.005), immunity, metabolic syndrome, and cancer (χ(2); P < 0.05). For these adaptive SNPs, balancing selection was evident in Euro-Asians, whereas obvious positive and/or purifying selection was observed in Africans. Taken together, our study indicates that CAT is the most important attribute of solar energy that has driven genetic adaptation in development and immunity among global human populations. It also supports the non-neutral hypothesis for the origin of disease-predisposition alleles in common diseases.