natural selection
New Neanderthal Research
As modern humans migrated out of Africa they interbred with Neanderthals, so all non-Africans carry some remnant of those ancient encounters, and new research by scientists at the University of...
Read MoreRecalibrating the Genetic Clock: Scientists Develop New and Improved Method for Timing Prehistoric Human Migrations Using Mitochondrial DNA
Just over 20 years ago, the first study using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to trace prehistoric human migrations was published. In this seminal study, scientists managed to determine that all humans...
Read MoreBaby, It’s Cold Outside: Researchers Tie Variation in Cancer Gene to Winter Temperatures
How can geneticists tell when a genetic difference between two human populations is an accident and when it’s the result of natural selection? As our species moved out of Africa...
Read MorePlus ca change … The Mystery of Ultraconserved Elements
Before efforts to sequence the human genome began, scientists thought they’d find about 100,000 protein coding genes in the three billion bases pairs of DNA that are found in almost...
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