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Genetics

Trending Today

Massive Data Project Will Help People Identify Enslaved Ancestors

Michigan State’s ‘Enslaved: The People of the Historic Slave Trade’ will combine available historical data on slavery into one searchable hub

An etching of carts laden with corpses in the Piazza San Babila, Milan during the plague of 1630.

The Next Pandemic

How Proteins Helped Scientists Read Between the Lines of a 1630 Plague Death Registry

New tech reveals bacterial contamination, what scribes were eating and how many rats were around

A scientific illustration of the Upward Sun River camp in what is now Interior Alaska.

New Research

Genetics Rewrites the History of Early America—And, Maybe, the Field of Archaeology

The genome of an infant from Upward Sun River, Alaska offers tantalizing insight into the story of human migration

The Golden-crowned manakin (Paratype in Berlin's Natural History Museum)

Amazon Bird Revealed to be Extremely Rare Hybrid Species

The Golden-crowned manakin is the first-known hybrid bird species found in the Amazon rainforest

Acinetobacter baumannii

The Next Pandemic

Instead of Killing Bacteria, Can We Just “Turn Off” Its Ability To Cause Infections?

Researchers could have an answer to antibiotic resistance, and it involves using epigenetics to reprogram bacteria

Glowing proteins produced by the modified E. coli.

New Research

DNA Code Gets Two New Synthetic Letters—And Uses Them to Create a New Protein

Researchers hope the advance is a step toward producing a range of new compounds, including designer drugs and biofuels

New Research

Your Oldest Ancestor Was Probably Sponge Like

A new study may settle a long-running debate about which creature was the first to evolve from a universal common animal ancestor

One of the samples sequenced by the yeti researchers

New Research

Most “Yeti” Evidence Is Actually From Brown Bears

The results dispel the idea of these mythical beasts while providing clues to the ancestry of the elusive Himalayan and Tibetan bears

The Next Pandemic

What Foods Are Most Likely to Make You Sick?

We put some common myths to rest—and help you tackle your next turkey dinner with confidence

A member of the new orangutan species, Pongo tapanuliensis.

New Research

Found: A New Species of Orangutan

But it’s thought to be already critically endangered

A Homotherium jawbone found in the North Sea.

Saber-toothed Cats May Have Co-Existed With Modern Humans

They also share an ancestor will all living cats

Diploscapter pachys hasn't had sex for 18 million years, and is doing just fine

New Research

This Worm Hasn’t Had Sex in 18 Million Years

By fusing its chromosomes, the creature could essentially clone itself while still maintaining genetic variation

New Research

Genetic Study Shows Skin Color Is Only Skin Deep

Genes for both light and dark pigmentation have been in the human gene pool for at least 900,000 years

A researcher uses a pipette to remove DNA from a micro test tube.

Trending Today

The Navajo Nation Might Lift a Longstanding Ban on Genetic Research

A policy written by tribal officials could help alleviate ethical concerns and guide genetic research and data sharing

New Research

Researchers Sniff Out the Genes Behind the Smell of the World’s Stinkiest Fruit

The DNA of the durian, it turns out, is very complex and optimized for producing a wretched stench

The only specimen ever collected of the erstwhile species Phyllastrephus leucolepis, or the Liberian Greenbul

The Elusive Songbird Species That Likely Never Existed

After fruitless hunts for a Liberian songbird, DNA analysis suggests that the species is not new

Today's Galapagos tortoises mostly feature dome-shaped shells, like the one shown here. But researchers have found some that have the saddleback-shaped shells and longer necks that once characterized extinct Floreana and Pinta tortoises.

The Island Where Scientists Bring Extinct Reptiles Back to Life (Nope, Not That One)

Reviving a long-dead Galapagos tortoise will take Jurassic Park-esque tactics—but have humans already intervened too much?

Celiac Sufferers May Soon Have Better Bread Options Thanks to Genetically Modified Wheat

Researchers successfully removed 90 percent of the genes that code for the gluten proteins that trigger adverse symptoms

The wings of a normal and CRISPR-edited Sara Longwing butterfly show how disabling a single gene can change the patterns

New Research

Scientists Identify the Genes That Paint Butterfly Wings

Using genetic editing, scientists isolated just two genes that play a major role in making butterfly wings as pretty as they are

Mount Hora, the site in Malawi where an 8,100-year-old skeleton was found, yielding the oldest-known DNA from Africa.

New Research

Ancient DNA Helps Scientists Shed Light on How Ancient Africans Moved and Mixed

New techniques help explain why there is little genetic overlap between modern and ancient Malawi people—and promise much more

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