Smithsonian
DNA from museum artifacts could help solve ancient mysteries—but there’s a risk
To fill some of the gaps in our understanding of aurochs evolution, [paleogenomics researcher Mikkel] Sinding looks for genetic clues ...
Gut bacteria could play key role in patient response to new cancer treatments
Does the quality and diversity of human gut bacteria determine whether people will successfully respond to cancer treatment? “When we ...
Is depression affected by bacteria in the gut?
The human microbiome—a collection of bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses commingling in the gut and intestines—has been linked to a ...
Regenerating tissues and limbs: What we can learn from the the amazing axolotl salamander’s genome
Saving the salamander that Nature called “biology’s beloved amphibian” takes on a special significance given the animal’s remarkable traits. Axolotls are neotenic, ...
Meet Alice Lee, the woman who disproved myths about skull size, sex, intelligence
On the morning of June 10, 1898, Alice Lee marched into the all-male Anatomical Society meeting at Trinity College in ...
Why don’t humans have fur? We have theories, but no answers
Evolutionary theorists have put forth numerous hypotheses for why humans became the naked mole rats of the primate world. Did we adapt ...
‘Interesting puzzle’ created by hand tools found near long-vanished Arabian rivers
Nearly 200,000 years ago, at the confluence of two long-vanished river systems in the heart of Arabia, people climbed a ...
You sound down: Using AI to spot depression in a person’s voice
[T]he notion that artificial intelligence could help predict if a person is suffering from depression is potentially a big step ...
New ‘scuba rice’ could protect 49 million acres of rice fields from flooding
According to some estimates, half the world depends on rice as its staple food. But as the climate changes, rice cultivation ...
450,000-year-old teeth help piece together human family tree
Crime-drama fans know that forensic scientists can ID the remains of long-missing persons by examining their teeth. To solve even ...
Before T. rex, 30-foot-long Dynamoterror and Lythronax ruled the American southwest
Tyrannosaurs often bear fierce names. Aside from the “tyrant lizard” Tyrannosaurus itself, there’s the “monstrous murderer” Teratophoneus, the “frightful lizard” Daspletosaurus, and the “gore ...
Biological clock blood test can predict disease risk
[G]enes tied to our body clocks play a critical role in everything from our hormone levels and body temperature to ...
‘Bravery cells’: Courage, risky behavior, stress linked to hippocampus
According to new research, your reaction may have less to do with logically analyzing the situation and more to do ...
Deep dive for aliens: We’ve only examined a ‘hot tub’ worth of cosmic ocean
[A] new study suggests we haven’t exactly taken a deep dive when it comes to hunting for other-worldly life forms ...
This ‘hot mess’ bird links dinosaur and avian evolution
Yes, birds are technically modern dinosaurs. But sometimes it’s tough to tell where the non-avian dino ends and the bird begins ...
Documenting the rise and fall of populations through human poop
The city that vanished about 700 years ago presents a captivating question for archaeologists: What happened to the Mississippian people who built ...
Improving the sports concussion ‘tool kit’: Virtual reality goggles promise speedier diagnosis
As the 2018 [football] season gets into full swing, some college teams are keeping a new gadget on the sidelines: ...
Why probiotics may or may not help you—and could even harm you
From pickles and candy bars to pills and protein powders, probiotics are touted as a health boon in all flavors ...
Confusion over the origins of smallpox vaccine could leave us ‘vulnerable to a future outbreak’
Not only is there the potential for smallpox (or at the very least, something very similar) to resurge, but unbeknownst ...
Family ties: Searching for autism origins in the genes of unaffected siblings
Scientists have historically focused on studying a “quartet” of two biological parents and two autistic children. Yet more recent research ...
Were Neanderthals wiped out by icy climate change?
About 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals began disappearing from Europe, but exactly why they died out is a mystery. … Researchers propose ...
Gut microbes could be the key to universal blood
Blood transfusions must match the blood type of a donor to that of the recipient; otherwise, the recipient’s immune system ...
Alpha: Examining Hollywood’s tale of dog domestication
Long ago, before your four-legged best friend learned to fetch tennis balls or watch football from the couch, his ancestors ...
Why other primates can’t talk: It’s all in the brain
Compared to humans, most primates produce a limited range of vocalizations: At one end of the spectrum, there’s the Calabar angwantibo, ...
Video: Ancient corn variety that makes its own nitrogen could lead to more sustainable farming
In the 1980s, Howard-Yana Shapiro, now chief agricultural officer at Mars, Incorporated, was looking for new kinds of corn. He ...
No link found between Flores Island pygmies and ancient ‘hobbits’ in study
Geneticist Serena Tucci sat in the small Indonesian village of Rampasasa on Flores Island, the only woman in a room full of ...
Preparing for motherhood: Do the father’s genes play a role?
[A] father may have the ability to dictate a mother’s attentiveness to their offspring—before it’s even born. The paternal genes ...
Sperm carries more than just a father’s genetics
Eat poorly, and your body will remember—and possibly pass the consequences onto your kids. In the past several years, mounting ...