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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How do cystic fibrosis bacteria evolve to thrive in human lungs?
The bacterium that's the most important pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has genetically evolved and adapted to survive ...
When it comes to human brain, size isn’t everything
According to new research, expansion of the brain in our ancestors ripped apart tethered neurons, enabling new circuits to be ...
Reporter David Dobbs revises ‘selfish gene’ coverage under fire
After a controversial article on the Selfish Gene Theory provoked sharp criticism, science writer David Dobbs revised his article and ...
What is heritability anyhow?
Schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and autism have all had recent attention for being “genetically caused." In scientific research, being genetically ...
Did brain mirror neurons help shape our civilization?
A new study debunks the hype surrounding mirror neurons and surveys current literature to take a calm and objective look ...
Comparison of aging patterns sheds light on evolutionary purpose of aging
A new comparison of aging patterns of humans and 45 other species reveals that some species live much longer than ...
Nearly a quarter of cow genome comes from snakes
According to a new article, “horizontal gene transfer” allows genes to cut themselves out of surrounding DNA and paste themselves ...
Can we inherit fear of a smell? The latest on transgenerational epigenetics
Can humans inherit the experience of fear? Male mice trained to fear a particular harmless smell before they sire offspring ...
Female promiscuity a pragmatic approach to survival
New research suggests that female primates seek out multiple sexual partners as an evolutionary strategy and opportunistically shift that strategy ...
Debate over ‘selfish gene’ theory heats up
A recent article by science writer David Dobbs argued for the need to revise the “selfish gene” theory, prompting a ...
23andMe founder pulls personal genomic service, pledges cooperation on FDA review
Stung by the FDA's cease-and-desist order and criticisms that the data in its personal genomics test are unreliable, 23andMe founder ...
The future of ancient DNA–Can we remake extinct species?
The study of ancient DNA has come a long way in recent years, forcing scientists to rethink much of human ...
First Americans were Europeans. Sort of. It’s complicated.
Native Americans, who have a significant amount of East Asian genes, are thought to have first traveled to America from ...
FDA halt of 23andMe test kit could stall progress in personal genomics
This week, the FDA ordered genetic testing company 23andMe to stop selling its personalized DNA test kits. How will this ...
Scientists demonstrate creativity of natural selection with E. coli research
Biologists at Michigan State University have frozen 50,000 generations of E. coli over the past 25 years to demonstrate Darwin’s ...
The first GMO (Hint: Human’s best friend)
Are dogs the earliest examples of GMOs? While the conventional definition of a genetically modified organism is the lab insertion ...
With just a few genetic changes, new species are able to evolve
By analyzing two closely related species of butterflies, scientists at the University of Chicago have found that it only takes ...
Ashkenazi Jewish women descended mostly from Italian converts, new study asserts
A new paper in Nature Communications recharges a debate regarding the ancestry of Ashkenazi Jews, tracing maternal lineages back to ...
Are the ethics of Breaking Bad really Darwinian?
Darwin's ideas are frequently distorted and used as labels for humans. And TV shows. But evolution isn’t as simple as ...
Gene tweaking for conservation
Researchers predict that 15-40% of animal species will be extinct by 2050, due to climate change and human activities. We ...
Scientists show that Jurassic Park couldn’t happen
Even when they used the best DNA sequencing methods known, researchers couldn't extract ancient DNA from amber-preserved insects ...
Inheriting an intellectual edge
Shouldn’t you be able to study hard and get smart? Yes and no. IQ is about 50 percent heritable -- ...
Epigenetics sheds new light on altruism
Recent research in neuroscience and epigenetics is revealing more and more about the fundamental social nature of humans ...
Ethiopian Jews in Somalia: Tracing remnants of the Yibir
The Yibir in Somalia is one of the few known Muslim communities worldwide that maintains Jewish descent. A genetic study ...
Martians on Earth: Compounds from Mars may have seeded life on our planet
New findings suggest that Mars holds the key ingredients needed for the evolution of life itself, suggesting that life may ...
Remnants of ancient viruses in human genome may play role in cancer
According to an international team of scientists from the United States, Europe and Russia, non-coding parts of the human genome ...
Are genetic differences at the root of the Tutsi-Hutu Rwandan conflict?
Is there a genetic difference between the Hutu and Tutsi groups in Rwanda? To understand the horrific genocide in Rwanda ...
