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.
The DNA Olympics- Jamaicans win sprinting ‘genetic lottery’- and why we should all care
Jon Entine takes stock of the DNA London Olympics–where, as usual, African-descended athletes swept the running events while whites and ...
Study uses stem cells to boost red blood cell production
Using human stem cells, scientists have developed methods to boost the production of red blood cells, according to a new ...
Controversy heats up over whether or not modern humans may have mated with Neanderthals
Over the years, there have been many studies regarding the possibility of whether or not humans and Neanderthals really interbred- ...
Transplant of sibling’s stem cells shows promise in sickle-cell fight
Ieshea Thomas, who has suffered from sickle cell anemia nearly all of her life, recently received a life-changing gift from ...
The DNA Olympics — Jamaicans win sprinting ‘genetic lottery’ — and why we should all care
Jon Entine, author of Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We’re Afraid to Talk About It,” takes stock ...
New prenatal testing can detect more genetic problems
A new method of prenatal testing that can detect more genetic problems in a fetus than ever before could be ...
Genetic testing for a ‘gay’ gene: Is it a possibility?
For the most part, when you think of genetic testing, you usually think of a situation in which the parents ...
Genetic variant may drive body tremors
A genetic mutation may be responsible for essential tremor that runs in families, researchers found. Exome sequencing studies of several ...
French book examines why black sprinters dominate the Olympics
Ever since American runner Jesse Owens took the 1936 Berlin Olympics by storm, black athletes have generally reigned supreme in ...
Why ‘race’ matters in determining who is the fastest man on earth
Lightning-quick reactions. In most sports, they form the foundation of victory. Nowhere is this more cut and dry than in ...
Malaria genome provides treatment roadmap
Genetic variability revealed in malaria genomes newly sequenced by two multi-national research teams points to new challenges in efforts to ...
23andMe seeks FDA approval for personalized genetic tests
23andMe, a pioneer genetic testing company, is asking the FDA to approve a personalized DNA test- setting off familiar protests ...
Doom and DNA: Why we shouldn’t always overreact when it comes to DNA- Positive advances in genetic testing
While society should be careful about its uses of genetic testing and its efforts to modify the genome, some people ...
Can genetic testing tell you about your child’s Olympic future?
As I watch the Olympics this week I’m particularly interested in the stories about some of the athletes as kids, ...
Genes tell intricate tale of Jewish diaspora
A new genetic map paints a comprehensive picture of the 2,000 or so years in which different Jewish groups migrated ...
Can there be a reality of genetically modified Olympians?
There have been "marathon mice", "Schwarzenegger mice" and dogs whose wasted muscles were repaired with injected substances that switch off ...
Why women live longer then men: It’s in the genes
THE reason women live roughly four years longer than men in Australia may not solely be down to their reduced ...
Genetic screening identifies genes linked to human skeletal disease
A genetic screening approach to studying bone disease has found nine new genes associated with bone health and suggests a ...
Genetics test reveals your cat’s ancestry
Ever wondered whether your feline hails from eastern Asia or the eastern Mediterranean? No need to rack your brain anymore ...
Explaining obesity: Diet, lifestyle or genes?
Modern lifestyles are quite different from those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. That seems obvious. People looking to apply blame for ...
Your diet affects your grandchildren’s DNA, scientists say
You are what you eat, the saying goes. And, according to two new genetic studies, you are what your mother, ...
Genetic tests could explain why some children and teens die unexpectedly
Characterized by a hidden defect in certain cardiac cells, the syndrome had several bizarre variants. One type results in cardiac ...
Company seeks FDA approval for personal DNA test
Genetic test maker 23andMe is asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve its personalized DNA test in a move ...
Man-made proteins put a new twist on evolution – and they fight the flu
Man-made proteins. You may have never heard of them, but you will. They are set to become huge change agents ...
Elusive gene that causes a form of blindness from birth discovered
Researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division and ...
Researchers discover gene mutations that causes paralysis in patients from childhood
Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a very rare disorder that causes paralysis that freezes one side of the body ...
Olympic medicine: Are elite athletes really healthier than the rest of us?
As Los Angeles Times science writer Jon Bardin wrote in a recent article, “There are numerous genetic factors known to ...
