Ancestry & Evolution
The desire to understand our origins is primal. By examining our DNA over successive generations through the evolutionary process of inherited characteristics of human and animal populations–as well as from those species from which humans share a common ancestry–we can decipher our individual and collective past and develop medical innovations for the future.
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Viewpoint: Challenging yet another scientifically silly article claiming Black domination of sprinting and long distance running has nothing to do with genetics and ancestry
Conceding genes contribute to racial gaps in athletic performance makes it more plausible they contribute to racial IQ gaps ...
Why are people suffering from rising mental health issues? Our culture and environments might be changing too fast for evolution to keep up
Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems, such as the rising prevalence of mental health issues, are emerging from rapid technological ...
Are you a night owl? Genes from our Neanderthal ancestors could be responsible for the way we sleep
In a recently published paper, scientists suggest that genes from our oldest relatives could be responsible for the way we ...
Neanderthals vs Homo sapiens: How social structures affected ancient species’ ability to survive
Why did humans take over the world while our closest relatives, the Neanderthals, became extinct? It’s possible we were just ...
Men can’t do Zumba. Is it in their genes?
Zumba saved me during the pandemic. Prior to COVID, I took 3 or 4 of the ATP-burning classes a week ...
Ecosystem engineers: The intriguing ways humans are still evolving
We’ve conquered biology and eliminated the effects of evolution on our species, but that’s not what the science says ...
Chimpanzees and humans share 98.8% of their DNA — and just like people, ‘chimps are both bloodthirsty warmongers and thoughtful beings’
Although chimpanzees and humans share a surprising 98.8 percent of their DNA, our differences are vast – or at least we ...
How did current ape species found in Africa evolve?
Fossil remains in Europe and Asia show ape species flourishing and evolving new traits during that gap period for African ...
‘Flecks of ancient viral DNA’ could be sparking cancer in modern-day humans
Cancer growth can be fueled by flecks of ancient viral DNA lodged into the genetics of modern humans, a new ...
Darwin vs Wallace: 150-year-old argument on evolution resolved by AI
In the 1800s, a conflict between the founding fathers of evolution divided the community between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel ...
5,000 years ago, European human populations plummeted in numbers. Could the plague be the culprit?
DNA evidence from tombs in Sweden and Denmark suggests major plague outbreaks were responsible for the Neolithic decline in northern ...
Why consciousness? Understanding the evolution of human intelligence helps inform the future of AI
Neuropsychologists argue consciousness is not result of evolution of the central nervous system, but arose for humans to better communicate ...
Why do some animals have bigger brains than others?
Thanks to our large brains, humans and non-human primates are smarter than most mammals. But why do some species develop ...
‘Neanderthals cared for and looked after their vulnerable companions’: Human ancestor child with Down syndrome lived to 6 years old
A Neanderthal child with Down’s syndrome survived until at least the age of six, according to a new study on ...
Your appendix is more than ‘a useless fossil in your abdomen’ — it could be a hidden safe house for healthy gut bacteria
Appendicitis is a well-known medical problem, but you may be surprised to learn that your appendix can, in rare cases, ...
This medieval woman was buried among 22 male soldiers. Was she a warrior too?
Buried at a castle in Spain, a woman was found alongside the remains of 22 men who likely died on ...
Why did early humans turn to cannibalism? It might have had little to do with hunger
Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner wasn't expecting an ancient revelation during a routine examination of a Paleolithic shin bone in 2017. She observed clean, carved ...
‘Forest reset’: When dinosaurs went extinct, rainforests thrived — allowing new vining grapes to evolve
A lack of dinosaurs traipsing around following the K-T mass extinction may have allowed the grape we know and love to spread and thrive. A team ...
Not just a fad: The ‘Mediterranean diet’ has been around for over 4,000 years
Even 4,000 years ago, people in the Mediterranean knew what was good for them. A new study found ancient Syrians ate similarly ...
Genghis Khan has over 16 million descendants today — but he’s not alone. 10 other men have massive genetic legacies
A 2015 study showed that ten other men have a lot of descendants. The paper is just one of several ...
History of malaria: ‘Ancient pathogen DNA’ reveals how devastating disease has impacted humans over thousands of years
Recent paper sheds light on the historical distribution and genetic diversity of malaria-causing species through ancient DNA analysis ...
The last mammoths thrived on this island for thousands of years, before suddenly being wiped out. What happened?
About 9,200 years ago, when the ice had retreated for several millennia from most of the northern hemisphere, a herd ...
Pup science: ‘Peering deep into the bodies and minds of cats and dogs to understand why we, and they, bond’
Scientists around the world are peering deep into the bodies and minds of cats and dogs, hoping to learn more ...
Eat like we were programmed by evolution? Then we’d eat whatever we want
Nutrition influencers claim we should eat meat-heavy diets like our ancestors did. But our ancestors didn’t actually eat that way ...
Slide show: 99% of human ancestors died 900,000 years ago. How we weathered this catastrophe and what it foretells as climate dislocations escalate
A study published in August 2023 suggests that human ancestors experienced a dramatic population decline 900,000 to 800,000 years ago, ...
Canine communication: Here’s what your dog is trying to tell you
The secret ways your dog is trying to communicate and tell you something but you’re just missing the signs ...
Were T-rexes really that dumb? Correcting 7 major misconceptions we have about dinosaurs
Big and scary they may have been, but dinosaurs were by no means lumbering brutes. The more we learn about them, the ...
