Genetics
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
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
Can the Endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee Survive?
A new genetic study reveals secrets about the creature, which may help researchers make decisions to conserve the species
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
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
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
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
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
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