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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Origin of mammalian pregnancy revealed by genomic ‘parasites’
An international team of scientists has identified large-scale genetic changes that marked the evolution of pregnancy in mammals. They found ...
How do viruses become contagious?
Here are two recent stories about viruses. They started out alike, and ended up very differently. In October, a woman ...
Does harder living translate to shorter lifespans?
A common belief among human life history researchers is that "harsher" environments - i.e., those with higher mortality rates and ...
Bedbugs’ evolution is bad news for everyone, except scientists
In the closing sentence of “The Origin of Species,” Charles Darwin marvels at the process of evolution, observing how “from ...
Drugs from where?! Female genitals may be source of uniquely effective antibiotic
Despite the yuck factor, bacteria that colonize our bodies are proving to be an effective source of medical treatments including ...
How viruses insert themselves into our DNA
Each year, billions of people get infected with viruses–with common ones like influenza and cold viruses, and rarer ones like ...
Giant squid may not be as gigantic as you think
Does size matter? It does to 6'3" scientist Craig McClain, of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in North Carolina. His ...
Can GMOs save the fragile coral reef ecosystem?
The controversial practice of "environmental engineering" should be adopted in the battle to save the world's coral reefs from the ...
History of primate evolution written in viral DNA
Throughout our evolution, viruses have infected an egg or sperm, incorporated themselves into the genetic code and passed on to ...
Sometimes, evolution comes with negative side effects
From rashes to irritable bowels, people today face certain health challenges because our ancestors evolved the genetic variations associated with ...
Jurassic World: Can cloning revive extinct species, protect endangered ones?
DNA can remain stable in bones for millions of years. Can it be mined to resurrect long-dead velociraptors? Woolly mammoths? ...
Play struggles to capture questions of neuroscience and human nature
In the first scene of Tom Stoppard’s new play The Hard Problem, the charming but arrogant neuroscientist is arguing with ...
Why did most mammals stop laying eggs?
About a decade ago, Vincent Lynch emailed Frank Grutzner to ask for a tissue sample from a pregnant platypus. He ...
Political views dictate what science issues receive the most attention
In American scientization of politics culture, evolution acceptance is a big deal, as is climate change. Yet other science acceptance ...
What does genome testing mean for questions of Native American ancestry?
The genetic sequencing company 23andMe recently tapped into its vast bank of data to release a study on genetic origins, ...
Tool use among early humans paved way for selection of language-related genes
It’s widely understood that human genetics can influence culture, but increasingly, the idea that culture can also affect genetics is ...
Starship “Egg”: Sending unborn, frozen embryos across interstellar space
Hibernation is a wonderful option for a small crew of explorers, but for a distant planet with an Earth Like ...
Newly discovered jawbone fuels mystery of ancient human evolution
A fisherman who pulled in his nets 25 kilometers off the coast of Taiwan got a surprising catch: the lower ...
Genetics proving instrumental in conservation of endangered species
Traditionally, conservation biologists have relied on field observation and sample and statistical analysis to help them understand the dynamics behind ...
Where are the missing females? Do skewed sex ratios in China, elsewhere lead to social problems?
China views its preponderance of men with increasing alarm, but it is not the only place in the world that ...
Genghis Khan’s reputation as history’s most fertile father challenged by 9 mystery men
Millions of men bear the genetic legacy of Genghis Khan, the famously fertile Mongolian ruler who died in 1227. Researchers ...
Genetic variants altering key brain structures identified
In the animal kingdom, humans are known for our big brains. But not all brains are created equal, and now ...
DNA evidence ends ancestry debate over 9500 year old skeleton
Nearly two decades after the ancient skeleton called Kennewick Man was discovered on the banks of the Columbia River, the ...
Genomics reveals evolutionary history of drug resistant tuberculosis
From the dawn of agriculture to the fall of the Soviet Union, major events in human history have left marks ...
Buzz on how the housefly genome will help cure human disease
Insects that humans have always regarded as nothing but pests are being exploited for good purposes —as genomic sources of ...
Debunking Creationist study criticizing similiarity between human and chimpanzee DNA
I was recently asked to respond to an apologist page that challenged the scientific claim that human and chimpanzee DNA ...
Are monkeys intelligent enough to exhibit human-like self recognition?
The ability to recognize oneself in a mirror has been touted as a hallmark of higher cognition — present in ...
