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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The biology of identity
Are your talents, traits, and insecurities so deeply embedded in your genes that they’re basically inevitable? ...
The forecast on the race, genetics, and intelligence debate
The following is an editorial summary. It is often said that race is a social fact and a biological fiction ...
What makes us human: genetics, culture or both?
The following is an edited excerpt. Was there a single trigger that kickstarted the human revolution? Undoubtedly genetic mutation played ...
Ask a geneticist: Race and IQ?
This Q&A with a geneticist offers a crash-course in genetics, race, and intelligence for the curious layperson ...
Researchers feud over Jewish genes
The following is an excerpt. Are Jews genetically homogenous? Though it’s certainly been a loaded question historically, the quandary has ...
Scientists sequence genome of ‘sacred lotus,’ which likely holds anti-aging secrets
The following is an excerpt. A team of 70 scientists from the U.S., China, Australia and Japan today reports having ...
Microbiome: How the bacterial genes in our gut impact us
For every human cell that is intrinsic to our body, there are about 10 resident microbes ...
Predicting the IQ of future people
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. Jason Richwine was forced to resign from the Heritage Foundation by ...
Probing the genetics of intelligence
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. Researchers in China will scour the genomes of 1,600 super-smart people in ...
Mosses make two different plants from the same genome
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. One of the most astonishing secrets in biology is this: every ...
Genetics continues to garner attention as conservation tool
Genetics continues to make headlines in conservation efforts, even if it's not the species-saving panacea some hope for ...
Deconstructing Nature’s “plant without junk DNA” story
The following is an edited excerpt of a longer story. A paper released in Nature this week had all the elements of ...
Genetic genealogy sleuthing: A guide
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. Personal genomics companies that type SNPs genome-wide can identify blocks of ...
A minimalist genome: Sometimes “junk” DNA really is junk
Whether or not "junk" DNA is actually useful has been a topic of debate. A new paper in Nature examining ...
Jewish researcher attacks DNA evidence linking Jews to Israel
Geneticist Eran Elhaik claims most Jews can trace their ancestry to the Caucusus and Eastern Europe, despite overwhelming evidence of ...
How do identical twins develop different personalities?
The following is an excerpt. Find a link to the full story below. Despite having the same genetic makeup, identical ...
Conservative immigration scholar claims genetic component to racial disparities in IQ
The following is an excerpt. Find a link to the full story below. Jason Richwine, the coauthor of the conservative ...
Entire European continent shares ancestry
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. Find a link to the full story below. Europeans all shared ...
Ancient DNA found hidden below sea floor
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. Find a link to the full story below. In the middle ...
Male, female – ah, what’s the difference?
The following is an editorial summary. Find a link to the full story below. What distinguishes males and females? The ...
Europeans are one big family
The following is an excerpt of a longer story. You can find a link to the full story below. DNA ...
Genome digest: What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species’ genomes
The following is an editorial summary of a longer story. Find a link to the full story below. What can ...
Head for numbers? Brain anatomy best predictor of math aptitude
Children who are good at math may literally have a brain for numbers. New research indicates that the physical structure ...
Charlemagne for everyone! Royal DNA all around
Everyone who lived a thousand years ago who has any descendants today is an ancestor of every European ...
Biological secrets of the criminal mind
The following is an excerpt. What is science revealing about the nature of the criminal mind? Adrian Raine, a professor ...
“Jews a genetic race” theory attacked by DNA expert
The following is an excerpt. Scientists usually don’t call each other “liars” and “frauds.” But that’s how Johns Hopkins University ...
The genetics of gender and sexuality
The following is an excerpt. This week Camila Ruz meets Dr Helena Cronin, co-director of the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social ...
