DNA

Long thought to be a genetic mutation, albino redwoods may actually serve as a forest filter.

Stalking Down Answers: Why Are Some Redwoods White?

The mysterious pale trees many not just be odd genetic mutations, a new study finds

Suspected 1665 Great Plague pit unearthed at Crossrail Liverpool Street site

DNA from 17th-Century Teeth Confirms Cause of London’s Great Plague

Skeletons excavated from a mass grave during London’s Crossrail project yield new clues about the ancient mystery

The skeleton of a new species of beaked whale in Unalaska high school

New Species of Beaked Whale Discovered in Alaska

DNA analysis and a washed up corpse confirm this a new dark-colored species of beaked whale

Pure Human features clothing made from leather that is produced from the DNA of designer Alexander McQueen—and that includes freckles, realistically placed tattoos and even sunburns.

Alexander McQueen Is Being Turned Into Leather

The late designer's DNA is part of a bizarre experiment in fashion ethics

Sperm whales, giant squid and humans all have a mitochondrial "Eve."

No, a Mitochondrial 'Eve' Is Not the First Female in a Species

The latest story about a sperm whale “Eve” shows how people misunderstand the evolutionary term. Fear not: We can clarify

Scientists will attempt to edit T cells in cancer patients in the first-ever human trial of CRISPR in the United States.

Editing of Human Genes May Begin by Year’s End in the U.S.

The first-ever trial of CRISPR in the U.S. will test if it's safe to edit T cells in cancer patients

Mom, is that you?

Every Sperm Whale Alive Today May Have Descended From the Same Female

An 80,000-year-old "Eve" was the mother of all modern sperm whales—literally

Dogs: more complicated than you ever imagined.

Ruff News: Man’s Best Friend May Have Been Domesticated Twice

Where did Fido come from? It’s complicated

Light- and dark-colored peppered moths. The black variety is thought to have evolved to camouflage moths on sooty surfaces during the Industrial Revolution.

New Evidence Shows Peppered Moths Changed Color in Sync With the Industrial Revolution

Scientists used “jumping genes” as a time machine to track down changes in moths’ appearance

Poverty doesn't just affect a child's chances for the future—it appears to change poor kids' very DNA.

Poverty Linked to DNA Changes That Could Lead to Mental Illness

Could a better understanding of the biomarkers of lower socieconomic status help raise kids out of poverty?

In his book The Gene: An Intimate History, Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses family, cancer, and the meaning of genetic normalcy.

Siddhartha Mukherjee Follows Up Biography of Cancer With “An Intimate History” of Genetics

The Pulitzer Prize winner calls his latest not a sequel, but a prequel to his bestseller

Environmental cues mosquitoes to swarm inside a lab.

Kill All the Mosquitoes?!

New gene-editing technology gives scientists the ability to wipe out the carriers of malaria and the Zika virus. But should they use it?

Important information about a cheetah can be found in its feces.

A Fecal Pellet’s Worth A Thousand Words

Scientists can learn a surprising amount about an animal just by analyzing its poop

Scientists Are Searching Out “Genetic Superheroes” to Cure Diseases

Out of almost 600,000 people, 13 seem to have mutations that prevent deadly diseases from being expressed

Dog Owners Beware, DNA in Dog Poop Could Be Used to Track You Down

A Chicago apartment building is trying out a new scheme to catch four-legged offenders and their humans

What a Tiny Fish Can Tell Us About How Humans Stood Upright

What is the root of why our ancestors gained the power to walk on two feet and chimpanzees didn't?

The great pond snail is helping scientists make great leaps in their understanding of asymmetries in the animal kingdom.

Snail Shells Add a New Twist to the Mystery of Animal Asymmetries

After more than a century of searching, scientists have discovered a gene in snails that may control asymmetries inside many animals

Emperor penguin chicks huddle for warmth. New research shows that huddling behavior, or aggregation, may vary across penguin colonies.

Here's the Latest on Penguins

From invasive "fairies" to huddling chicks, penguins are the perfect pick-me-up

White rhinos graze in Nakuru National Park, Kenya.

Five Ways to Fight Wildlife Crime in the Digital Age

From GPS-tagged eggs to smartphone apps, these emerging technologies could help give endangered species a chance at survival

The first Denisovan tooth that was discovered in 2008

DNA from a Huge Tooth Confirms a New Ancient Cousin

The Denisovans may have co-existed and interbred with Neanderthals and Homo sapiens

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