So is lactose tolerance not a competitive advantage for Indo-Europeans?

[BWV]

One of the hypothesis bout the Yamnaya expansion (the expansion of peoples from what is now Southern Russia / Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamnaya_culture ) was that the ability to digest lactose have a caloric advantage to these herders, but now lactose tolerance appears to be a more recent adaptation https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...ke7oowpQuTxbmMuoNFny8NvTCgRmcSlxRaHfppCJFVZUA

 

[mfb]

Looks like it was a really strong advantage afterwards:

That means that within about 100 generations, the mutation had penetrated populations across Europe. “That’s the strongest selection found in the human genome,” Burger says.

 

[BWV]

Thought this was interesting, a map of the % of the population with lactose intolerance, showing the lack of dairy animals in East Asia, among indigenous Americans and in sub-Saharan Africa. Not sure how this ties to milking animals other than cows, Horse milk, for example, was a staple of Mongols. Also interesting that Russia, the homeland of the Yamnaya (Indo-Europeans), has among the lowest rates

http://www.armenpogharian.com/lactose-intolerance-around-the-world/

 

[mfb]

What's going on in Niger? All its major ethnic groups are from Africa, so it's not immigration from elsewhere.

 

[BWV]

What's going on in Niger? All its major ethnic groups are from Africa, so it's not immigration from elsewhere.

Guessing cattle herding in the Sahel?

 

[mfb]

It's not a typo at least. This meta-study has Niger as outlier as well.
Elsewhere the numbers differ a lot. It has Germany with a much lower fraction than Russia, for example (figure 2).

There was substantial heterogeneity between studies within most of the assessed countries (appendix pp 13–20). Egger’s test and inspection of funnel plots indicated some small-study effects or publication bias for some countries including Ethiopia, Russia, and China (appendix pp 21–29). Inspection of scatter plots also indicated some study population outliers

 

[BWV]

 

[symbolipoint]

Not at all a technical contribution, but if you check the quoted remark from Pumping Iron, the well-known star said, "Milk is for babies; when you grow up, you have to drink beer."

The comment can be changed to describe what the natural world has done for us humans, to say, "Milk is for babies; when you grow up, you can choose to eat yogurt."

I BELIEVE that lactose-intolerant people can eat yogurt without any problem.
( https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/can-lactose-intolerant-eat-yogurt-aged-cheese-6130.html )

 

[Hornbein]

Horse milk, for example, was a staple of Mongols.

Yes but they ferment it. I've read that it tastes terrible.

 

[Rive]

"Milk is for babies; when you grow up, you have to drink beer."

I wonder why the issue is spinning around milk. It may be only my observation, but grown-ups usually eats far more cheese than the equivalent amount of milk consumption would be.
This also fits with herders (as far as I know). When you have food walking around you starvation is not a short term danger - though preserved food is still very important, both as a trading basis and reserve. And, possibly: foundation for warfare.
It's just me but I would check on the technology around milk processing (pots and tools). The invention might be proven to be just as important as bronze or iron.

Cheese age

 

[Tom.G]

My (adopted) sister, with Northern British Isle heritage, is quite allergic to cow milk here in the USA, also to any beef product. (Headache, lack of energy, bed bound for 2 to 3 days.)

When traveling to Europe or British Isles, she has no problem at all. I hear it is a different breed of bovine across the pond!

 

[hmmm27]

Went non-lactose for half a year, just to see what would happen (nothing) ; when I went back to drinking milk, I spent the first few days on the porcelain throne.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Horse milk, for example, was a staple of Mongols.

Yeah, but it makes you want to conquer the known world.

 

[BWV]

Yeah, but it makes you want to conquer the known world.

only so you can find something better to drink

 

[Vanadium 50]

only so you can find something better to drink

Same principle as the British Empire. Had to find something better to eat than boiled beef and haggis.