There are a few well-known cases of selection in humans, for example, adaptation to lactase persistence has occurred independently in the same gene (lactase, LCT) in Africa and Europe (Tishkoff et al. 2007); variation in the copy number of the amylase gene (AMY1), improving the capacity to digest starch-rich diets (Perry et al. 2007); development of resistance to malaria (Kwiatkowski 2005); and the recently reported adaptation to living at high altitudes (Simonson et al. 2010). The gene discussed is LCT; the disease is malaria.