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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Mystery ‘cocoliztli’ epidemic that wiped out the Aztecs may have been caused by salmonella
In the 16th century, an epidemic known as "cocoliztli" that caused bleeding and vomiting swept through large areas of Guatemala, ...
Sex and genetics: We’re looking for someone who isn’t an exact match of ourselves
We know that both men and woman are attracted to each other's shapes. But human sexual desire, and partner preference, ...
Could nearby alien civilizations be more primitive, and therefore undetectable?
Editor's note: Abraham Loeb is chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University As we discover numerous habitable planets around other ...
Is speculation about alien life legitimate science? Or merely a distraction?
Speculation about extraterrestrials seems to be everywhere these days. [Recently] it was “Tabby’s Star” (more officially known as KIC 8462852), ...
450-year-old mummy found with oldest evidence of hepatitis B infection
Once, this boy mummy was thought to have died of smallpox, but a new analysis of his now 450-year-old DNA ...
In contrast with adults, children’s embrace of evolution likely hinges on scientific aptitude, not religious beliefs
In contrast to adults, acceptance of evolution in schoolchildren in the UK is linked to their scientific aptitude rather than ...
Does the shape of your face affect your odds of success or failure in life?
The science of facial structures has advanced tremendously in recent years, leading to a number of applications and a deeper ...
Hunter-gatherer ‘paradise’? Stone Age settlement discovered in Israel
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered next to one of the country’s busiest roads the site of an extraordinarily well preserved prehistoric ...
10 questions we should ask about teaching evolution
1. What do you think are the main factors that influence how effective a biology teacher is at teaching evolution? ...
Viewpoint: Are women instinctually attracted to dominant men?
[Anthropologist Richard Wrangham writes:] Women don’t like many specific acts of demonic males. But paradoxically, many women do regularly find ...
Does our genetics ‘determine’ how ‘smart’ we can become? Debate erupts in Britain
Education in England is no better than mediocre, and billions of pounds have been wasted on pointless university courses and ...
Native American ancestors arrived from Asia in a wave, not a trickle, suggests ancient DNA
A rare smidgen of ancient DNA has sharpened the picture of one of humanity’s greatest migrations. Some 15,000 to 25,000 ...
Ancient infant DNA shows Native Americans split from their Asian ancestors 25,000 years ago
DNA from an infant who died in Alaska some 11,500 years ago is giving scientists the best look yet at ...
‘Müllerian mimicry’: Gut microbes ‘speak the language’ of your immune system
Müllerian mimicry is a well-studied phenomenon, particularly in butterflies, in which completely unrelated species come to display the same patterns ...
TRAPPIST-1 mini-planetary system and what it means for the spread of life between worlds
Only a few dozen known worlds as small as the rocky worlds of our inner Solar System and orbiting within ...
Homo sapiens may only have appeared 300,000 years ago, and evolved modern features gradually
Human origins are notoriously tough to pin down. Fossil and genetic studies in 2017 suggested a reason why: No clear ...
What differentiates humans from chimps: Differing DNA or different expression of similar genes
Scientists have found genetic changes that make brains bigger and may help explain why we are so different from chimpanzees ...
Irish sects show diverse population sources, including Viking influence
Scientists have unveiled a detailed genetic map of Ireland, revealing subtle DNA differences that may reflect historic events. In their ...
Gay genes identified? Research met with ‘severe criticism’
Scanning the genomes of 1,077 homosexual men and 1,231 heterosexual men, researchers identified several genetic regions with multiple single nucleotide ...
Molecular clocks rewriting the story of human evolution
Analyzing DNA from present-day and ancient genomes provides a complementary approach for dating evolutionary events. By comparing DNA sequences, geneticists ...
Possible genetic links to homosexuality like ‘finding needle in a haystack’
Scientists in the US looked at the whole genomes of around 1000 homosexual men and 1200 heterosexual men, finding several ...
High IQ correlates with success—but also mood disorders, anxiety and autism
There’s some bad news for people in the right tail of the IQ bell curve. In a study just published in the ...
Quest to find aliens boosted by new technology and funding
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is bigger than ever, thanks to a big cash infusion from Russian billionaire Yuri Milner ...
Why some Amish are genetically wired to live longer
Although known mainly for their adherence to an older, simpler way of life, some Amish folks also have a genetic ...
Why all identical twins who are overweight are not identically obese
Identical twins have the same genomes, but they don't always look exactly the same, particularly in regards to weight. Science ...
Skin color and ‘race’: Genetics reveal complicated relationship
For much of recorded history, skin color has been loaded with powerful social meaning. Skin color plays a major part ...
Turning night owls into early birds? It may soon be possible
The discovery of a genetic mutation linked to night owl behavior raises the prospect of a drug treatment that would ...
