Genetics News

Neanderthals Were Early Risers, New Research Suggests

Velazquez-Arcelay et al. found that genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may have contributed to the propensity of some people today to be early risers, the sort of people who are more comfortable getting up and going to bed earlier. Image credit: Holger Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.
Dec 14, 2023 by News Staff

When the ancestors of modern Eurasians migrated out of Africa and interbred with Eurasian archaic hominins, namely Neanderthals and Denisovans, DNA of archaic ancestry integrated into the genomes of anatomically modern Homo sapiens. This process potentially accelerated adaptation to Eurasian environmental factors, including reduced ultra-violet radiation and increased variation in seasonal dynamics. In new research, scientists from Vanderbilt University,...

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Pelage color variation in the North American bison (Bison bison): (a) albino bison; note the white pelage, hypopigmented eyes, and hypopigmented skin particularly around eyes and nose; (b) typical wild-type bison pelage color. Image credit: Stroupe et al., doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad156 / National Buffalo Museum / Searle Swedlund of Jamestown, ND.

Researchers Produce High-Quality Genome Assembly for North American Bison

Nov 22, 2023 by News Staff

In their new research, scientists at Texas A&M University developed a highly contiguous chromosome-level reference genome for the North American bison...

The tiger (Panthera tigris). Image credit: Chiem Seherin.

Comparative Genomic Study Sheds New Light on Cat Evolution

Nov 7, 2023 by News Staff

New research led by Texas A&M University and the University of Missouri scientists explains how cats, including domestic cats, lions, tigers, Geoffroy’s...

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris). Image credit: Michael Gäbler / CC BY 3.0 Deed.

European Wildcats and Domestic Cats Did Not Mix Until 1960s, New Research Shows

Nov 7, 2023 by Natali Anderson

In two related studies, researchers from the University of Oxford and elsewhere sequenced the genomes of wildcats and domestic cats, including 48 modern...

Gene expression data reveal the deployment of the patterning system in the sea star Patiria miniata. Image credit: Formery et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06669-2.

Bodies of Starfish and Other Echinoderms are Really Just Heads, New Research Suggests

Nov 2, 2023 by News Staff

For centuries, naturalists have puzzled over what might constitute the head of starfish. When looking at a worm, or a fish, it’s clear which end is the...

While a human perpetrator may take pains not to leave their own DNA behind, transferred cat hair contains its own DNA that could provide a link between a suspect and a crime-scene, or a victim. Image credit: Alexas_Fotos.

Hair Shed by Pet Cats is Useful Source of Forensic Evidence, Study Says

Nov 1, 2023 by News Staff

A single cat hair contains DNA which could link a suspect and a crime-scene, or a victim, according to a new study led by University of Leicester scientist...

Understanding the genetic basis of convergence at broad phylogenetic scales remains a key challenge in biology. Kingfishers are a cosmopolitan bird radiation with diverse colors, diets, and feeding behaviors -- including the archetypal plunge-dive into water. Given the sensory and locomotor challenges associated with air-water transitions, kingfishers offer a powerful opportunity to explore the effects of convergent behaviors on the evolution of genomes and phenotypes, as well as direct comparisons between continental and island lineages. Eliason et al. use whole-genome sequencing of 30 diverse kingfisher species to identify the genomic signatures associated with convergent feeding behaviors. Image credit: Robert Balog.

New DNA Study Shines Light on Plunge-Diving Behavior in Kingfishers

Oct 26, 2023 by News Staff

In new research, ornithologists from the Field Museum and elsewhere analyzed the whole genomes of 30 diverse kingfisher species to identify the genomic...

The epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) at Océanopolis, Brest, France. Image credit: Strobilomyces / CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed.

Sharks Have Very Low Mutation Rates, New Study Shows

Oct 24, 2023 by News Staff

Sharks occupy diverse ecological niches and play critical roles in marine ecosystems, often acting as apex predators. They are considered a slow-evolving...

The occasional use of stone tools as ‘strike-a-lights’ was a technocultural feature shared among Neanderthals in France.

36,500-Year-Old Human Genomes from Crimea Shed New Light on First Europeans

Oct 23, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Populations genetically related to present-day Europeans first appeared in Europe at some point after 38,000-40,000 years ago, following a cold period...

Comparisons of Neanderthal genomes to anatomically modern human (AMH) genomes show a history of Neanderthal-to-AMH introgression stemming from interbreeding after the migration of AMHs from Africa to Eurasia. All non-sub-Saharan African AMHs have genomic regions genetically similar to Neanderthals that descend from this introgression. Regions of the genome with Neanderthal similarities have also been identified in sub-Saharan African populations, but their origins have been unclear. To better understand how these regions are distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, the source of their origin, and what their distribution within the genome tells us about early AMH and Neanderthal evolution, Harris et al. analyzed a dataset of high-coverage, whole-genome sequences from 180 individuals from 12 diverse sub-Saharan African populations. Image credit: Holger Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.

Neanderthals Interbred with Now-Extinct Lineage of Early Modern Humans Over 250,000 Years Ago

Oct 20, 2023 by News Staff

Approximately 6% of the Altai Neanderthal genome was inherited from an ancient lineage of anatomically modern Homo sapiens that migrated from Africa to...

Zolotarov et al. propose that miRNAs are intimately linked to the evolution of complex brains in octopuses and other animals. Image credit: Albert Kok / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Scientists Sequence Chromosome-Level Genome of Common Octopus

Oct 19, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus) are emerging animal models and include iconic species for studying the link between genomic innovations...

Common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Image credit: J.J. Harrison, https://www.jjharrison.com.au / CC BY-SA 2.5 Deed.

Researchers Sequence Genome of Common Brushtail Possum

Oct 17, 2023 by News Staff

Scientists at the University of Otago have produced a near-complete genome assembly for the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) — a species...

Analyzing high-density genotype data from 7,594 Latin Americans, Faux et al. characterized Neanderthal introgression in the SCN9A gene. Image credit: Holger Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.

Study: Neanderthals May Have Been More Sensitive to Mechanical Pain than Most Humans

Oct 12, 2023 by News Staff

People carrying three Neanderthal variants — known as M932L, V991L, and D1908G — in the gene SCN9A are more sensitive to pain from skin pricking...

Cadena et al. found DNA traces in the 6-million-year-old carapace of a Lepidochelys turtle. Image credit: Edwin Cadena, Universidad del Rosario & STRI.

Scientists Find Tiny Traces of DNA in 6-Million-Year-Old Turtle Shell

Sep 29, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Researchers from the Universidad del Rosario, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Field Museum of Natural...

A pair of thylacines, a male and female, c. 1905. Image credit: Smithsonian Institutional Archives / E. J. Keller, National Zoological Park.

Researchers Extract and Sequence RNA from Extinct Tasmanian Tiger

Sep 19, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Scientists from Stockholm University, the Arctic University of Norway, Lund University and Karolinska Institute have extracted, sequenced and analyzed...

Juglans cinerea. Image credit: H. Zell / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Butternut

Sep 19, 2023 by Sergio Prostak

Researchers at the University of Connecticut have published the first high-quality reference genome for the butternut (Juglans cinerea), a member of the...

Datta et al. developed a ‘living material’ that could offer a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to clean pollutants from water. Image credit: David Baillot / UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

‘Engineered Living Material’ Offers New Way to Clean Contaminated Water

Sep 5, 2023 by News Staff

The novel photosynthetic biocomposite material is a 3D-printed structure made of a seaweed-based polymer combined with genetically engineered cyanobacteria...

Educational attainment is protective and moderates the effect of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on cognition. Image credit: WOKANDAPIX.

Higher Educational Attainment May Have Protective Effect Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Sep 4, 2023 by News Staff

New research illustrates that when it comes to risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even genetically determined forms of this disease, genetics is only one piece...

Hu et al. detected a reduction in the population size of our ancestors from about 100,000 to about 1,000 individuals, which persisted for about 100,000 years. Image credit: Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Early Human Ancestors Went Through Severe Population Bottleneck 850,000 Years Ago: Study

Sep 1, 2023 by News Staff

Today, there are more than 8 billion human beings on the planet. Our species dominate Earth’s landscapes, and our activities are driving large numbers...

Developing fruits of a banana. Image credit: Josch13.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Cavendish Banana

Aug 29, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Banana is one of the most important crops of the world. Cavendish-type bananas, which have a monospecific Musa acuminata origin, account for around half...

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