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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‘Semi-synthetic’ organism expands DNA base alphabet
Every living thing on Earth stores the instructions for life as DNA, using the four genetic bases A, G, C, ...
Uptown rats? Rodents in New York City have genetically adapted to different neighborhoods
As a whole, Manhattan’s rats are genetically most similar to those from Western Europe, especially Great Britain and France. They ...
Proof the yeti exists? DNA analysis shows bone ‘samples’ came from bears
In the fall of 2013, Charlotte Lindqvist got a call from a film company making an Animal Planet documentary about ...
Evolutionary tradeoffs: How DNA works so living things have a ‘competitive advantage’ to survive
Evolution is a game of trade-offs. Every trait an organism inherits may have benefits and drawbacks; what matters to natural ...
Kissing cousins: Understanding the genetic risks and benefits when close relatives marry
Endogamy––the marriage of relatives––is a controversial cultural practice. It can play surprising roles in health and disease ...
How our autistic ancestors helped shape human evolution
[W]hen we talk about the autism spectrum – we are all “a bit autistic” – and we all fit somewhere ...
Evidence Earth is billions of years old abounds, so why don’t creationists believe it?
[Editor's note: Sabine Hossenfelder is a physicist and Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies.] Planet Earth formed around ...
What are the genetics behind this amazing-looking ‘two-faced’ cat?
Meet Quimera the cat—she’s no ordinary feline! You’ve probably never seen any animal quite like her. Her furry face is ...
Chimeras: The genetics behind this amazing-looking ‘two-faced’ cat
Meet Quimera the cat—she’s no ordinary feline! You’ve probably never seen any animal quite like her. Her furry face is ...
Brain addiction: Why stopping drug use is so difficult
Drug addiction is a commonly misunderstood disease. Once addicted, it’s not only about pleasure seeking or choice, but chemical reactions ...
Should we ‘genetically modify’ humans to fit the demands of space travel?
It takes something special to be an astronaut – an extraordinary combination of bravery, fitness, intelligence, lightning-fast decision-making and calmness ...
Viewpoint: Newsweek’s surprisingly unscientific view of the genetics of obesity
[Editor's note: Dr. Charles Dinerstein is a retired vascular surgeon.] In a nod to science, Newsweek reported that there might be genetic underpinnings ...
Challenging Mendel: Does the female egg woo sperm with specific genes?
[Researcher Jon Nadeau’s] hypothesis—that the egg could woo sperm with specific genes and vice versa—is part of a growing realization ...
How evolution contributed to the demise of the passenger pigeon
Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird in North America, and quite possibly the world. … In a matter ...
The leaves on the tree of life are almost all microbes
Planet of the insects? Heck no. Planet of the microbes. Science has long struggled with estimating how many species of ...
Stressed out? It could alter your sperm
Sperm from stressed-out dads can carry that stress from one generation to another. “But one question that really hasn’t been ...
How choosing genetically similar partners shapes our genomes
Chances are, you’re going to marry someone a lot like you. Similar intelligence, similar height, similar body weight. A new ...
Evidence ancient humans not ‘violent apes’ but distinctly compassionate
[Editor's note: Penny Spikins is an archaeologist who specializes in early prehistory and human origins.] Yes, there is evidence of interpersonal violence ...
Genetics can’t determine your indigenous heritage
Collectively, genetics studies have shown us that the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas are descended from a group that diverged ...
Has the mystery of who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls been solved?
Dozens of skeletons discovered in the Judean Desert may finally reveal who wrote the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, a mystery that ...
Genetics of mental health yield surprising connections but no cures
Scientists are slowly uncovering the genes and mechanisms that cause mental health disorders, but we are a long way from ...
‘Fault-free obesity’: How much are fat-storing genes causing expanding waistlines?
Obesity is often attributed to a simple equation: People are eating too much and exercising too little. But evidence is ...
Searching for extraterrestrial life: Finding the right communication technology
Scientists are looking for evidence of extraterrestrial communication across interstellar space. But what if other intelligent life forms are using ...
How tracing the evolutionary family tree of all female lab mice will help improve medical research
Adam and Eve, a pair of black mice, lived for less than two years and never left their home at ...
Our brains grow and shrink when we learn—which is how we continue to absorb knowledge
Our past understanding of the brain would suggest that new knowledge requires new brain cells, and as a result our ...
Viewpoint: We need a conversation about gene editing and eugenics
[Editor's note: Karin Christiansen is head of research at the Centre for Health Technology at the Faculty of Health, VIA ...
Saving the Galapagos: Gene drives could help rid invasive pests
Eradicating invasive species can be a brutal job. On the island of Floreana, a plan to eliminate the rodents that ...
