Genetics

  1. Humans

    Some West Africans may have genes from an ancient ‘ghost’ hominid

    A humanlike population undiscovered in fossils may have passed helpful DNA on to human ancestors in West Africa starting as early as 124,000 years ago.

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  2. Life

    Engineered honeybee gut bacteria trick attackers into self-destructing

    Tailored microbes defend bees with a gene-silencing process called RNA interference that takes on viruses or mites.

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  3. Genetics

    A new genetic analysis reveals that modern Africans have some Neandertal DNA too

    Humans migrating back to Africa brought genetic material from humans’ extinct Neandertal relatives along for the ride.

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  4. Archaeology

    A Siberian cave contains clues about two epic Neandertal treks

    Stone tools and DNA illuminate an earlier and a later journey eastward across Asia.

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  5. Genetics

    Ancient kids’ DNA reveals new insights into how Africa was populated

    Four long-dead youngsters from west-central Africa have opened a window on humankind’s far-flung African origins.

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  6. Archaeology

    DNA from 5,700-year-old ‘gum’ shows what one ancient woman may have looked like

    From chewed birch pitch, scientists recovered DNA from an ancient woman and her mouth microbes and hazelnut and duck DNA from a meal she’d consumed.

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  7. Genetics

    The first U.S. trials in people put CRISPR to the test in 2019

    Trials of the gene editor in people began in the United States this year, a first step toward fulfilling the technology’s medical promise.

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  8. Humans

    A gene tied to facial development hints humans domesticated themselves

    Scientists may have identified a gene that ties together ideas about human evolution and animal domestication.

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  9. Animals

    Devil worm genes hold clues for how some animals survive extreme heat

    Devil worms have many extra copies of genes tied to heat stress and cell death, which may help the critters survive deep underground, a study finds.

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  10. Humans

    Why screening DNA for ‘designer babies’ probably won’t work

    While simulations suggest it’s possible to predict a child’s height from looking at an embryo’s DNA, real-world examples say otherwise.

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  11. Animals

    Flipping a molecular switch can turn warrior ants into foragers

    Toggling one protein soon after hatching makes Florida carpenter ants turn from fighting to hunting for food.

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  12. Humans

    Humans’ maternal ancestors may have arisen 200,000 years ago in southern Africa

    New DNA findings on humankind’s maternal roots don’t offer a complete picture of how and when Homo sapiens emerged.

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