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Genetics

Indian family standing and smiling holding their kids in the park. Source: kristineldridge/Adobe Stock

Genetic Study Reveals Shocking Details about Ancestry of Modern Indians

Featuring a rich and diverse mix of ethnicities and cultures, the people of South Asia have always been a source of fascination for scientists interested in studying human evolution and genetics. It...
Why is it that hominoids have experienced tail loss, while other primates have not? Source: v_blinov / Adobe Stock

25-Million-Year-Old DNA Explains Why Humans and Apes Don’t Have Tails

While many primate species have tails, humans and their ape cousins do not. For many years scientists have debated the reasons for this curious tail loss variation, trying to understand the reasons...
Adam and Eve illustration.  Source: Mariephotos/Adobe Stock

The Two People We're All Related To (Video)

Embedded within each individual lies the potential to unlock the profound saga of their ancient lineage . Mitochondria, inherited solely from the maternal line, and the Y chromosome, passed down...
Modern human and Homo erectus man compared.   Source: AlienCat / Adobe Stock

Did a Superhuman Genetic Mutation Rewire Human Evolution? (Video)

Did a superhuman genetic mutation reshape human evolution ? The abrupt emergence of advanced human culture over a short period remains a mystery. Anthropological evidence suggests a radical shift in...
Image of books and family tree diagrams, tracing surname origins. Source: Bazoom

How to Sleuth Your Ancestral History From Your Surname

Have you ever wondered where your last name comes from or what hidden stories it might hold? Embarking on a surname search journey can be both enlightening and engaging. With curiosity and clever...
The excavated burial of Offord Cluny 203645. DNA has revealed he was a Sarmatian immigrant to Britain. Source: MOLA Headland Industry

Offord Cluny 203645: DNA Reveals Only Sarmatian Remains Known in Britain

After completing a DNA analysis of the remains of an individual who was buried near the village of Offord Cluny in Cambridgeshire, England in the second century AD, a team of scientists discovered...
A new study challenges traditional beliefs about ancient human skin color diversity. Source: YouTubeScreenshot/Highly Compelling

Genetics Drive Ancient Human Skin Color Diversity, Study Says (Video)

A recent study published in the esteemed Journal Science challenges conventional beliefs about the evolution of skin color in ancient humans. Contrary to the notion that dark skin evolved in Africa...
This reconstruction shows the Bad Dürrenberg shaman in her full regalia. Source: Karol Schauer / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt

Hidden Connection Between 9,000-Year-Old Bad Dürrenberg Shaman and Infant Exposed

Ever since archaeologists discovered the 9,000-year-old remains of what has come to be known as the Bad Dürrenberg shaman in the 1930s, they have been struggling to learn more about this enigmatic...
Did a tribe of cannibals encounter the Denisovans. Source: to_go / Adobe Stock.

Did A Tribe of Cannibals Interbreed with the Denisovans? (Video)

In the untamed landscapes of Island Southeast Asia, scientists investigating the mysterious a group of hominins called the Denisovans have stumbled upon a revelation that challenges conventional...
Wooly mammoth. Source: thejokercze / Adobe Stock.

Can This Man Bring Back the Woolly Mammoth? (Video)

Since 2015 a visionary geneticist in Boston, Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School, has been at the forefront of a scientific endeavor that challenges the boundaries of possibility. He...
A Neanderthal hunting. Source: Bartek / Adobe Stock.

Amazing Things That the Neanderthals Did (Video)

Around 300,000 years ago, before humans roamed the Earth, another species known as Neanderthals inhabited much of Eurasia. Their name comes from the Neander Valley in Germany, where the first remains...
Portrait of Neanderthal man. Source: iridescentstreet / Adobe Stock.

Evolutionary Genetics and the Neanderthal Inside Us (Video)

Utilizing advanced techniques, scientists have delved into the genetic code of our Neanderthal ancestors. Extracting DNA from 400,000-year-old Neanderthal bones in Spain, they've achieved a high-...
Human ancestors overlooking a bleak, ice-covered landscape. Source: Dr_Microbe / Adobe Stock

Near-Extinction of Our Human Ancestors Revealed by Genetic Research

Approximately one million years ago, the Earth was populated by a few hundred thousand or so ancient human ancestors. But about 900,000 years ago there was a sudden and dramatic crash in this...
A comparison of great ape and human skeletons in genetic move to bipedalism. Source: Alexander Potapov/ Adobe Stock

New Study Sheds Light on Genetic Human Skeletal Changes that Led to Bipedalism

Researchers have conducted a groundbreaking study using imaging data from over 30,000 participants in the UK Biobank to gain insights into the genetic basis of human skeletal proportions and their...
Vestigial muscle in forearm. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Vox.

Proof of Evolution You Can Find on Your Body (Video)

The human body reveals compelling evidence of evolution . By examining its intricacies, we uncover remnants of our animal ancestors . One such example is the palmaris longus, a vestigial muscle in...
Clay facial reconstruction of the Kennewick Man was created based on the morphological features of his skull. Source: Brittney Tatchell / Smithsonian Institution

How DNA Analysis Ended Scientific Disputes in the Case of the Kennewick Man

Back in 1996, two young men stumbled across a human skull submerged in the Columbian River, situated in Kennewick, Washington. Now known as the Kennewick Man, this remarkable discovery swiftly...
The hand of a person with Viking’s disease, a.k.a. Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition of the hand that can cause some of a person’s fingers to become permanently bent at an angle. Source: Artwell / Adobe Stock

‘Viking’s Disease’ Hand Condition Traced Back to Ancestral Neanderthals

Researchers have discovered a link between Neanderthal genetic material and an unusual health disorder that affects modern humans. The disorder in question is Dupuytren’s disease, a.k.a. Viking’s...
In 2020, the first cloned Przewalski's horse was born. Source: Lawrence / CC by SA 2.0.

The American Scientists Bringing Animals Back From Extinction (Video)

In a world where the delicate balance of nature is threatened by human activities, a group of American scientists has taken on an extraordinary mission. Hidden away within the walls of San Diego Zoo’...
Neanderthals. Source: Mikolaj Niemczewski / Adobe Stock.

What Really Killed the Neanderthals? (Video)

Unraveling the mystery behind the Neanderthals' extinction has captivated scientists for decades. In the fascinating world of paleoanthropology , theories abound, shedding light on the fate of our...

Decoding Viking Origins: Genetic Clues Paint a New Picture (Video)

The word " Viking " evokes vivid images of mighty, fair-haired seafarers pillaging coastal settlements. Yet is this portrayal an accurate reflection of their genetic makeup? Groundbreaking...
Modern lady with long, broad nose, of the type now thought to be inherited from the Neanderthal nose. (Insert, Neanderthal holding a skull)            Source: olly/Adobe Stock; Insert, Roni / Adobe Stock

Long and Broad Noses on Modern Humans Were Inherited From Neanderthals

Long dismissed for being our brutish ancestors, we share more with Neanderthals than we think, and increasingly research is showing us just how much there is in common. Scientists have run computer...
A reconstruction of Homo habilis. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Scientists Against Myths.

Watch the Evolution from Ape to Man in this Remarkable Animation (Video)

The journey of evolution has been a long one, spanning over millions of years, and our ancestors have survived some of the toughest conditions imaginable to get where we are today. Starting from the...
Representation of an elite Mongolian woman. Source: B@rmaley / Adobe Stock.

Xiongnu Princesses Shaped Mongolian Traditions, New Study Shows

Princesses have played crucial roles in the organization and structure of empires throughout history, yet their contributions have often been overlooked. From the Greeks to the Mughals to the Mongols...
Ruins of the 9th‐Century City of Kilwa Kisiwani, where some Swahili have their origins. Source: Gereza/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Ancient DNA is Restoring the Origin Story of the Swahili People of the East African Coast

Chapurukha Kusimba /The Conversation The legacy of the medieval Swahili civilization is a source of extraordinary pride in East Africa, as reflected in its language being the official tongue of Kenya...

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