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.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Fish with a placenta? How did evolution come up with that?
With their impressive fins and stunning colours, the poeciliids—a group of small fish that includes guppies, mollies and swordtails—are understandably ...
Reading and math accomplishment determined by overlapping genes
Forget what they say about math versus verbal scores: The two aren’t dichotomous. Children’s reading and math abilities have a ...
Transgenic, sex-swapped algae reveal potential genetic ‘master switch’ in evolution of the sexes
An experiment in making sex-swapped algae has unveiled a genetic "master switch" in the evolution of sex differences, one of ...
Tooth decay a genetic problem
Remember "The Big Book of British Smiles" from "The Simpsons"? The dentist used it to scare children into proper dental ...
Genes, not lifestyle responsible for most common cancers
A study of individuals who have been adopted has identified genetics as the dominant risk factor in 'familial' breast, prostate ...
Are older dads genetically risky?
Dad's age at the time of conception increases risk of some genetically linked diseases including autism and schizophrenia. But older ...
Strawberries and lawsuits: Future of favorite fruit hinges on intellectual property
When one of the world's foremost strawberry breeders decided to leave UC Davis, it sparked a controversy culminating in a ...
Practice does not make perfect: Elite sprinters destroy myth that athletes made, not born
The old adage, hyped by Malcolm Gladwell, that hard work can turn almost anyone into a champion is popular among ...
Musical accomplishment depends on genes and environment
Mom or dad may have driven you to cello rehearsal all those years, but you can also thank your genes ...
Cells’ defense systems may play role in causing autism
What causes autism is a mystery. One theory is that a phenomenon called the cellular-danger response lies at the root ...
Crimean Karaites hybrid population comprised of ancient Israelite and non-Israelite ancestries
The ancestral origins of the Turkic speaking Crimean Karaites have at times been contentious with several competing theories. This study ...
Evolution sometimes happens without conveying advantage
Generally speaking, we tend to think of evolution in purposeful terms: There must be a reason for difference, an explanation ...
H1N1 flu controversially engineered to escape immune system
A controversial scientist who carried out provocative research on making influenza viruses more infectious has completed his most dangerous experiment ...
Quick and dirty gene exchanges not just for bacteria
A single gene from bacteria has been donated to fungi on at least 15 occasions. The discovery shows that an ...
Sherpas inherited ability to thrive in high altitudes from extinct humans
A new study shows that Nepalese people who live at high altitudes have a gene variant inherited from human’s ancient ...
UV light absorbtion drove benefit of light skin mutations in human evolution
The popular idea that Northern Europeans developed light skin to absorb more UV light so they could make more vitamin ...
Developmental brain gene protects against Alzheimer’s disease
More than five million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer's disease. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and their colleagues have ...
Our primate ancestors enjoyed a nip, too
When we think about the origins of agriculture and crop domestication, alcohol isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to ...
Rare genetic disorder that ended college star’s pro hoops career hopes shines light on Marfan syndrome
Four days before Baylor University basketball star Isaiah Austin hoped to be drafted into the NBA, his dreams of playing ...
Shaking up science with transgenerational epigenetics and blurred species boundaries
A "top five ideas shaking up science" list from The Guardian and author Michael Brooks hits on two of the ...
DNA in rogue databases and genetic privacy
"Rogue databases," artistic renders, much can be learned from the DNA that each of us sheds all the time without ...
Early human inter-species breeding results point to fourth mystery species
The evolutionary tree for modern humans a bit of a mess - humans haven’t had a close relative on this ...
Speciation is a human construct, sometimes genetics often don’t overlap
Scientific taxonomy is only a rough and approximate mapping of the reality of natural history and evolutionary genetics, which it ...
Picture of risk: One family’s story of the threat of genetic disease
When a fetus may have a genetic condition, parents face a great deal of uncertainty when evaluating risk for their ...
Claim Ashkenazi Jews are descendants of pagan Khazars who converted in Middle Ages confirmed as myth
The claim that today’s Ashkenazi Jews are descended from Khazars who converted in the Middle Ages is a myth, according ...
Fly gene may explain human language evolution
The evolution of language in humans continues to perplex scientists and linguists who study how humans learn to communicate. Considered ...
Reverse reefer madness? Schizophrenia genes predict heavy pot use
Does marijuana smoking cause psychosis? Or could psychosis drive pot smoking? If you believe the panned and parodied 1936 film ...
