Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

DNA

Archaic Age people—like the ones who made these blades—arrived in the Caribbean around 6,000 years ago.

What Ancient DNA Reveals About the First People to Populate the Caribbean

New study suggests a group of migrants almost totally replaced the islands’ original population

Sequencing entire genomes from ancient tissues helps researchers reveal the evolutionary and domestication histories of species.

Smithsonian Voices

How Ancient DNA Unearths Corn’s A-Maize-ing History

New study shows how extracting whole genomes from ancient material opens the door for new research questions and breathes new life into old samples

Pakistan, home of Deosai National Park, is one of the countries whose leaders signed the pledge to protect 30 percent of land and water.

These Conservation Stories Prove 2020 Was Not All Bad News

From the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism team, comes a surprising list of successful efforts making a difference

Of the deep-water samples collected by this team, they identified 11 fish families, 11 genera and eight species. This fish, from the genus Leptochilichthys, was discovered at nearly 3,000 feet deep.

Scientists Collect Floating Bits of DNA to Study Deep Sea Creatures

Analyzing seawater samples reveals what critters lurk there—without having to see them

A genetic analysis revealed that by the end of the last ice age—around 11,000 years ago—there were a least five distinct lineages that gave rise to dogs in New Guinea, the Americas, northern Europe, the Near East and Siberia.

How Dogs and Humans Evolved and Migrated in Tandem

Our relationship with pups spans millennia, and new DNA analysis shows just how much people influenced canine evolution

Conservationists report that the Przewalski’s horse is extinct in the wild, and only an estimated 2,000 remain in zoos and reserves.

Scientists Cloned an Endangered Wild Horse Using the Decades-Old Frozen Cells of a Stallion

The cloned foal will hopefully provide an ‘infusion of genetic diversity’ as conservationists work to restore the Przewalski’s horse’s population

The male skeleton's neck and legs were arranged in an unnatural position, while the woman's remains were held in place by large stones.

New Research

DNA Analysis Suggests Mother and Son Were Buried in Famous Viking Grave

Researchers had previously posited that the man was an executed enslaved individual buried alongside the noblewoman he served

CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology has the power to improve the lives of millions of people.

Trending Today

Two Scientists Receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Their Discovery of CRISPR

The award-winning researchers, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, harnessed the power of gene-editing technology and revolutionized biology

Historical pressings of seaweeds, such as this kelp, have proved to be a scientific boon for researchers.

Scientists Use Century-Old Seaweed to Solve a Marine Mystery

A treasure trove of data trapped in pressed seaweed helps explain the collapse of Monterey Bay’s sardine fishery in the 1950s

Vikings' maritime expeditions brought them out of Scandinavia and into Northern Europe, where they intermingled with local populations.

Sweeping DNA Survey Highlights Vikings’ Surprising Genetic Diversity

A new study suggests Viking identity didn’t always equate to Scandinavian ancestry

The cave angel fish's unique pelvic shape was first documented in 2016. Its uncommon anatomy allows it to walk with all four appendages the way a salamander or a lizard might.

New Research

Study Finds Ten Species of Fish That May Have a Secret Talent for Walking on Land

The strange fish may help researchers envision the gaits of Earth’s first terrestrial vertebrates

North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

Smithsonian Voices

River Otters Take ‘Party Pooping’ to a New Level

Latrines keep otters up to date on who is around, how they are feeling, and who’s ready to have babies

New research suggests a genetic mutation some humans inherited from Neanderthals may make them more sensitive to pain than their peers.

New Research

Neanderthals May Have Been More Sensitive to Pain Than Most Humans

Modern humans with this Neanderthal-inherited gene report 7 percent more pain than other people

An 18th-century engraving depicting cross sections of a ship used to transport enslaved people from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean

New Research Reveals the Transatlantic Slave Trade’s Genetic Legacy

Scientists investigated whether genetic data collected from 50,000 volunteers lined up with historical shipping manifests

The neotropical rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus, inhabits at least 11 South American countries. This species of viper is widespread and thrives in dry climates.

Smithsonian Voices

The DNA of the Viper Reveals an Ancient Map of South America

Although vipers are famous for their venomous bites, it turns out these snakes have another story to tell

One of the interior passages of the 5,000-year-old Irish megalithic tomb of Newgrange. In this photo, sunlight enters the monument's main chamber at dawn on the winter solstice.

DNA Extracted From Ancient ‘Irish Pharaoh’ May Reveal Royal Incest

New analysis of elite man buried in Stone Age monument suggests he was the product of either a brother-sister or parent-child pairing

The researchers analyzed snippets of DNA left in the centuries-old tartar buildup.

New Research

New Technique to Study Ancient Teeth Reveals Edo-Era Diet in Japan

Researchers analyzed DNA in tartar from the remains of 13 people who lived between 1603 and 1867

Elephants are missing a gene to digest alcohol, which might mean they probably can't handle their liquor.

New Research

Despite Folklore, Elephants Might Be Lightweights When It Comes to Booze

New study finds elephants lack a genetic mutation that allows humans to efficiently break down alcohol

The men's remains, found in a 16th-century mass grave in Mexico City, bear signs of trauma and disease.

New Analysis Suggests These Three Men Were Among the First Africans Enslaved in the Americas

Buried in a mass grave in Mexico City, the trio may have been part of the first generation abducted from their homeland and brought to the New World

7,000-year-old dog feces from China's Anhui province

Artificial Intelligence Gives Researchers the Scoop on Ancient Poop

The computer program can identify canine versus human feces based on DNA sequences in samples

Page 16 of 27