DNA
Easter Island's Ancient Population Never Faced Ecological Collapse, Suggests Another Study
New DNA analysis adds to growing research indicating the famous Pacific island did not collapse from overuse of resources before the arrival of Europeans
Ancient DNA Reveals Neanderthal Group Was Isolated for 50,000 Years
A new study, based on the remains of a Neanderthal nicknamed Thorin, is shaking up what archaeologists long thought about these early humans in Europe
Scientists Identify the Gene Behind Thorny Roses and Other Prickly Plants
A recent study could pave the way to cultivating various thornless plants, making them easier to grow and potentially more widely available
Archaeologists Uncover the Real Story of How England Became England
New research is revealing how the Sceptered Isle transformed from a Roman backwater to a mighty country of its own
Inside the Hidden Kingdom of Viruses in Your Gut
Human innards are teeming with viruses that infect bacteria. Here's what scientists are learning about them
Archaeologists May Have Identified the Bones of a Celebrated Ninth-Century Bishop in Spain
Bishop Teodomiro was a central figure in the creation of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
The World's Largest Animal Genome Belongs to an Odd, Air-Breathing Fish
Scientists sequenced the 91 billion base pairs in the South American lungfish’s genome, setting a record and revealing insights into vertebrate evolution
Rare Fossils Give Clues to How Tardigrades Survived Mass Extinctions by Hitting the Snooze Button
Scientists have only four known tardigrade fossils, which preserve insights into how the hardy critters evolved their hibernation-like superpower of cryptobiosis
Early Humans Migrated Out of Africa Several Times, DNA Study Suggests
Homo sapiens interbred with Neanderthals as early as 250,000 years ago and may have ultimately bred them out of existence, according to new research
Archaeologists Crack Open a 2,000-Year-Old Coffin in Italy's ‘Tomb of Cerberus’
The stone coffin likely contains the leader of the family that built the frescoed chamber in Naples
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
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