Genetics | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/genetics/RSS feed for GeneticsenTue, 03 Nov 2026 18:56:36 +0000Hawaii and Easter Island Are 4,400 Miles Apart. But the Same Group of 'Ultravoyagers' Settled Both Centuries Ago, Genetic Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/native-hawaiians-descend-from-a-group-of-ultravoyagers-who-sailed-about-4400-miles-from-easter-island-genetic-study-suggests-180989793/Researchers studied DNA from more than 1,000 modern-day Polynesians and found that Native Hawaiians and Easter Islanders were most closely related. The findings help trace the epic settlement of the Polynesian islands while also revealing genetic vulnerabilities among their communitiesTue, 03 Nov 2026 18:56:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/native-hawaiians-descend-from-a-group-of-ultravoyagers-who-sailed-about-4400-miles-from-easter-island-genetic-study-suggests-180989793/The Race for Hydrogen Fuel Has Taken These Scientists to the Arctic Seafloor. But Can They Unlock Its Secrets Before It's Too Late?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-race-for-hydrogen-fuel-has-taken-these-scientists-to-the-arctic-seafloor-but-can-they-unlock-its-secrets-before-its-too-late-180989707/On challenging expeditions, researchers have collected deep-sea bacteria that naturally produce hydrogen, exploring and documenting an ancient ecosystem that may soon be altered foreverTue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-race-for-hydrogen-fuel-has-taken-these-scientists-to-the-arctic-seafloor-but-can-they-unlock-its-secrets-before-its-too-late-180989707/Scientists Took a Cheek Swab From the World's Oldest Tortoise. His DNA Could Reveal Hints to Longevityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-took-a-cheek-swab-from-the-worlds-oldest-tortoise-his-dna-could-reveal-hints-to-longevity-180989663/Jonathan, an Aldabra giant tortoise, is about 194 years old and the oldest land animal alive today. Discoveries about his genetics could provide clues to extending lifespan in humansFri, 09 Oct 2026 17:28:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-took-a-cheek-swab-from-the-worlds-oldest-tortoise-his-dna-could-reveal-hints-to-longevity-180989663/Anthropic Says Its A.I. Discovered a New Enzyme System That Resembles the Revolutionary Gene-Editing Tool CRISPRhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anthropic-says-its-ai-discovered-a-new-enzyme-system-that-resembles-the-revolutionary-gene-editing-tool-crispr-180989578/Experts at the company don't know what the newfound system does, so its potential utility in biology—if any—remains unclear. But the work marks a major advancement because the A.I. made this discovery mostly on its ownTue, 29 Sep 2026 18:16:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anthropic-says-its-ai-discovered-a-new-enzyme-system-that-resembles-the-revolutionary-gene-editing-tool-crispr-180989578/Meet the 'Fire Amoeba,' a Newfound Blobby Organism That's Defying Expectations About How Much Heat Complex Life Can Handlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-fire-amoeba-a-newfound-blobby-organism-thats-defying-expectations-about-how-much-heat-complex-life-can-handle-180989557/The newly described species, found in Northern California's Lassen Volcanic National Park, can still reproduce at 145 degrees Fahrenheit and move around at 147 degrees, according to a new studyMon, 28 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-fire-amoeba-a-newfound-blobby-organism-thats-defying-expectations-about-how-much-heat-complex-life-can-handle-180989557/Where Did Bats Originate? Huge Genetic Study May Have Settled the Longstanding Debate and Rewritten the Creatures' Evolutionary Treehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-did-bats-originate-huge-genetic-study-may-have-settled-the-longstanding-debate-and-rewritten-the-creatures-evolutionary-tree-180989568/The flying mammals likely arose 65 million years ago in Europe, before spreading to Africa and then the rest of the world, according to the new researchFri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-did-bats-originate-huge-genetic-study-may-have-settled-the-longstanding-debate-and-rewritten-the-creatures-evolutionary-tree-180989568/Did Thomas Jefferson Father Sally Hemings' Children? After More Than a Decade of Research, the Answer Is Finally Firmly in Handhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/did-thomas-jefferson-father-sally-hemings-children-after-more-than-decade-research-answer-finally-firmly-hand-180989331/A lock of hair, advances in genetic science and a community of descendants all contributed to solving an American mysteryTue, 22 Sep 2026 04:01:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/did-thomas-jefferson-father-sally-hemings-children-after-more-than-decade-research-answer-finally-firmly-hand-180989331/Meet the Adorable and Tiny Tilcayo, the First Brand-New Cat Species Identified in More Than a Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-adorable-and-tiny-tilcayo-the-first-brand-new-cat-species-identified-in-more-than-a-century-180989528/Discovered in a cloud forest in Bolivia, the diminutive felines are smaller than a house cat and covered in large, irregularly shaped rosettesMon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-adorable-and-tiny-tilcayo-the-first-brand-new-cat-species-identified-in-more-than-a-century-180989528/