Did Plague Cause the Mysterious Collapse of Europe’s Early Farmers 5,000 Years Ago?
A new study finds widespread DNA evidence that an ancestor pathogen of the Black Death helped bring about the end of an agricultural society responsible for megalithic tombs and monuments, like Stonehenge
3D DNA Preserved for 52,000 Years in Freeze-Dried Woolly Mammoth Remains
For the first time, researchers have mapped ancient genetic material in unprecedented detail
Ancient DNA Unravels the Mysteries of the Dingo, Australia’s Wild Dog
Researchers dove into thousands of years of evolutionary history, revealing new insights about the iconic, though sometimes vilified, canines
What Killed the Last Woolly Mammoths? Scientists Say It Wasn’t Inbreeding
New research suggests some catastrophic event—such as a natural disaster or a virus—killed the world’s last known population of mammoths on Wrangel Island
What a 100-Year-Old Lie Detector and 150-Year-Old Arsenic Tests Tell Us About Forensic Science Today
An exhibition at the National Museum of American History examines how humans influence and judge investigation techniques
These Stunning Butterflies Flew 2,600 Miles Across the Atlantic Ocean Without Stopping
Researchers combined several lines of evidence to solve the mystery of why a group of painted ladies, which do not live in South America, were found fluttering on a beach in French Guiana
Move Over, Genghis Khan. Many Other Men Left Huge Genetic Legacies
A 2015 study showed that ten other men have a lot of descendants. The paper is just one of several genetic studies revealing the secrets of descent
Ancient DNA Illuminates the History of Malaria, One of the World’s Deadliest Diseases
Researchers extracted parasitic DNA from preserved teeth and bones, revealing how malaria spread across the globe in a new study
When Did Humans Domesticate Horses? Scientists Find Modern Lineage Has Origins 4,200 Years Ago
A new study suggests people in the Eurasian steppe bred horses around 2200 B.C.E., challenging earlier ideas about the beginnings of horse husbandry
Ancient Celtic Elites Inherited Wealth From Their Mothers’ Sides
A genetic analysis of opulent burial mounds in Germany sheds new light on how power passed through family lines
This Tiny Fern Has the World’s Largest Known Genome
The plant’s genome has about 50 times as many base pairs as a human’s, and its DNA from a single cell would stretch longer than a football field
50,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Bones Have Remains of Human Viruses, Scientists Find
The preliminary analysis is a first step in testing the theory that infectious diseases played a role in Neanderthals’ extinction
Google Releases A.I. That Can Predict How the Human Body’s Molecules Behave, Boosting Drug Discovery Research
Called AlphaFold 3, the latest update of the software models the interactions of proteins with DNA, RNA and other molecules for the first time
Locks of Beethoven’s Hair Are Unraveling the Mysteries of His Deafness and Illnesses
Researchers found high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in the German composer’s hair, which may help explain some of his many ailments
Medieval Squirrels and Humans May Have Spread Leprosy Back and Forth
Archaeologists uncovered evidence of leprosy in a medieval red squirrel in England, and DNA evidence revealed the strain was similar to what was circulating in humans at the time
Meet Shanidar Z, a Neanderthal Woman Who Walked the Earth 75,000 Years Ago
After carefully piecing her skull back together, archaeologists and paleoartists have created a lifelike 3D reconstruction of the woman’s face
Personalized Melanoma Vaccine Could Be a ‘Game Changer’ by Teaching the Body to Fight Cancer Cells
The mRNA therapy, designed to prevent treated skin cancer from returning, is entering its third phase of trials
Endangered Ocelots May Be Expanding Their Range in Texas
DNA testing of an ocelot killed in 2021 raises the possibility that the creatures may be roaming outside their established South Texas territory, which is currently their only stronghold in the country
A Young Sailor’s Remains Have Been Identified Eight Decades After He Died at Pearl Harbor
David Walker was a 19-year-old mess attendant aboard the USS “California” when Japan launched its surprise attack
Two New Species of Killer Whale Should Be Recognized, Study Says
A couple of eastern North Pacific populations of orcas have qualities that set them apart, according to researchers
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