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This is an illustrated rendition of two male glyptodonts (Doedicurus clavicaudatus); massive, club-shaped tails were probably used more for intraspecific combat than defense against predators. Image credit: Peter Schouten.

Researchers Sequence Mitochondrial Genome of Glyptodont

Feb 23, 2016 by Natali Anderson

An international group of scientists has successfully sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome of the ancient glyptodont – a heavily armored herbivorous...

Denisovans were probably dark-skinned, unlike the pale Neandertals. The picture shows a Neanderthal man. Image credit: Mauro Cutrona.

Scientists: Neanderthals Mated with Humans 100,000 Years Ago

Feb 17, 2016 by News Staff

A multinational group of researchers has found strong genetic evidence of an interbreeding event between Neanderthals and anatomically modern Homo sapiens...

A model of a Neanderthal man. Image credit: H. Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.

Neanderthal-Derived DNA Has Significant Impact on Modern Human Traits

Feb 12, 2016 by News Staff

A large team of scientists led by Vanderbilt University geneticist John Capra has found surprising correlations between Neanderthal-derived DNA and disease...

The study supports a single and rapid dispersal of all non-Africans populations around 50,000 years ago not only across Asia but also into Europe. Image credit: Annette Guenzel / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

Pre-Neolithic DNA Suggests Major Late Glacial Population Turnover in Europe

Feb 5, 2016 by News Staff

DNA evidence lifted from the bones and teeth of hunter-gatherers who lived in Europe from 35,000 years ago (Late Pleistocene) to 7,000 years ago (early...

A close-up of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius). Image credit: Armed Forces Pest Management Bureau.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Common Bed Bug

Feb 2, 2016 by News Staff

A large multinational team of scientists has successfully sequenced the whole genome of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius), uncovering several traits...

The great tit (Parus major). Image credit: Koos Dansen.

Researchers Sequence Genome of Great Tit

Feb 1, 2016 by Enrico de Lazaro

An international team of scientists, led by Dr. Veronika Laine from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology and Dr. Martien Groenen from Wageningen University,...

Canadian Eskimo dogs. Illustration by John James Audubon and John Bachman (1845-1848).

Study: Domestication of Dogs May Have Caused Harmful Genetic Changes

Jan 12, 2016 by News Staff

According to a study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, dog domestication may have caused harmful genetic changes. Canadian...

The study increases the total number of POAG-related genes to 15. Image credit: National Eye Institute.

Scientists Discover New Genes Related to Glaucoma

Jan 12, 2016 by News Staff

Work done by Dr Jessica Cooke Bailey of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and co-authors has led to the discovery of three genes that...

Neanderthal. Image credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Neanderthal DNA Gave Humans Allergies, Immunity Boost

Jan 8, 2016 by News Staff

Interbreeding of anatomically modern Homo sapiens with Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) around 40,000 years ago may have left humans with gene variants...

Reconstruction of Ballynahatty Neolithic skull by Elizabeth Black. Her genes tell us she had black hair and brown eyes. Image credit: Barrie Hartwell.

Ancient Genomes from Ireland Sequenced for the First Time

Dec 30, 2015 by Enrico de Lazaro

A large team of researchers reported this week that it had sequenced the whole genomes of four prehistoric Irish individuals: a Neolithic woman (3343 –...

Heatmap of gradient of expression of M1 and M3 spanning fetal development to late adulthood and in topographically distinct cortical regions: A1C - auditory cortex; AMY - amygdala; CBC - cerebellar cortex; DFC - dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; HIP - hippocampus; IPC - posterior inferior parietal cortex; ITC - inferior temporal cortex; M1C - primary motor cortex; MD - mediodorsal nucleus of thalamus; MFC - medial prefrontal cortex; OFC - orbital prefrontal cortex; S1C - primary somatosensory cortex; STC - superior temporal cortex; STR - striatum; V1C - primary visual cortex; VFC - ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Image credit: Michael R. Johnson et al, doi: 10.1038/nn.4205.

Researchers Identify Intelligence Gene Networks

Dec 22, 2015 by News Staff

A group of scientists led by Imperial College London researcher Michael Johnson has identified two ‘gene networks’ associated with human cognitive...

The arowana (Scleropages sp.). Image credit: Marcel Burkhard / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Asian Arowana

Dec 21, 2015 by News Staff

An international team of researchers from Malaysia and Australia has successfully sequenced the genome of a famous ornamental fish species called the Asian...

The red clover (Trifolium pratense). Image credit: Masaki Ikeda / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Red Clover Genome Sequenced

Nov 30, 2015 by Natali Anderson

A team of genetic researchers, led by Dr Jose de Vega of the Genome Analysis Center and Aberystwyth University, UK, has successfully sequenced the genome...

Southern black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) with its prey house cricket (Acheta domesticus) trapped in spider web. Image credit: Scott Camazine, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142503.g001.

Genetic Researchers Extract, Sequence DNA from Spider Webs

Nov 26, 2015 by Enrico de Lazaro

Using black widow spiders, a team of scientists has successfully extracted, amplified, and sequenced mitochondrial DNA from spider webs that identified...

Fresh spores of the myxozoan species Kudoa iwatai; each spore is 10 micrometers in width. Image credit: A. Diamant.

Myxozoans: Widespread Parasites Are Actually ‘Micro Jellyfish’

Nov 17, 2015 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genetic study of myxozoans, a large group of parasites that infect invertebrate and aquatic vertebrate hosts, confirms that these weird microorganisms...

Symbiodinium kawagutii. Image credit: Scott R. Santos / Auburn University.

Dinoflagellate Genome Surprises Researchers

Nov 5, 2015 by Enrico de Lazaro

A multinational team of scientists – led by Dr Senjie Lin of Xiamen University and the University of Connecticut – has mapped the genome of Symbiodinium...

Pineapple (Ananas comosus), on sale on Reunion Island. Image credit: David Monniaux / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Researchers Sequence Pineapple Genome

Nov 3, 2015 by News Staff

A multinational team of scientists has sequenced genomes of a wild pineapple relative, the red pineapple (Ananas bracteatus), and two cultivated varieties...

Aurochs (Bos primigenius) in a cave painting in Lascaux, France. Image credit: Prof Saxx / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Extinct Eurasian Wild Aurochs

Oct 26, 2015 by News Staff

A multinational team of researchers has sequenced the nuclear genome of the aurochs (Bos primigenius), an extinct species of ox that inhabited Europe,...

Scientists analyzed DNA from ancient dog remains from more than a dozen sites in North and South America. This illustration shows a Canadian Eskimo Dog by John James Audubon and John Bachman (1845-1848).

DNA Study Suggests First Dogs Were Domesticated in Central Asia

Oct 20, 2015 by News Staff

The first dogs were domesticated about 15,000 years ago in Central Asia, perhaps near present-day Nepal and Mongolia, suggests a genetic study published...