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
A Mass Grave of Maya Boys May Shed Light on Human Sacrifice in Chichén Itzá
Researchers have genetically tested the bones and made determinations of gender and family relations
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
DNA Reveals How German Cockroaches Came to Dominate the World
A new paper looks at the genes of the most common cockroach species, tracing its historical journey alongside humans, from Asia to the Middle East, Europe and beyond
Scientists Uncover the Ancient Origins of Baobab Trees in Genetic Study
The trees originated in Madagascar 21 million years ago but later traveled long distances by way of ocean currents, according to new research
Almost All People With Two Copies of This Genetic Variant Develop Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Finds
The research focused on a variant called APOE4 and largely looked at people of European ancestry—risk levels are different for other groups, the authors say
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
Researchers Breed Mice With Hybrid Brains Containing Cells From Rats
In one experiment, rat neurons helped mice restore their senses of smell—the first time any animal has perceived the world through the sensory hardware of another species
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
Scientists Clone Two Black-Footed Ferrets From Frozen Tissues in Conservation Effort
The aim of cloning the animals is to increase the genetic diversity of the endangered species
Why Are Some People Left-Handed? Scientists Identify Rare Genetic Variants That May Be Linked to the Trait
The variants are present in fewer than 1 percent of people, but they were 2.7 times more likely to appear in lefties than in righties
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
See The Face of Emperor Wu, a Sixth-Century Chinese Ruler Brought to Life with DNA Analysis
Genetic analysis of DNA from his skeleton offers not only a first glimpse at his face, but also insight into his mysterious death
Modern Indian People Have a Wide Range of Neanderthal DNA, Study Finds
Genomes of Indian people today reveal links to a prehistoric migration and a group of Iranian farmers, as well as several new sequences from the Neanderthal genome
Scientists Grow Elephant Stem Cells in Key Step Toward Woolly Mammoth ‘De-Extinction’
The team’s lofty goal of “resurrection” is still far from reality, but scientists say the advancement in understanding cells could help with elephant conservation
Why Don’t Humans Have Tails? An Old Genetic Mutation Could Explain Why Monkeys, but Not Apes, Have the Extra Appendage
Scientists have pinpointed a genetic change that might have led the ancestors of humans to lose their tails
DNA Reveals Presence of Down Syndrome in Ancient Society
The burials of infants with Down syndrome in Europe provide insight into how babies with genetic conditions were cared for in premodern times, according to a new study
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