Browsing Tag
Ancient DNA
10 posts
Two seventh-century people found with west African ancestry – a story of diversity and integration in early Anglo-Saxon society
Duncan Sayer, University of Lancashire In 2022, archaeologists worked on the ancient DNA from a number of early…
How Two Mummies Rewrote the History of the Green Sahara
Genomic analysis of two 7,000-year-old mummies reveals the inhabitants of the once-lush "Green Sahara" were a genetically isolated population who adopted new technologies through cultural exchange rather than interbreeding.
We decoded the oldest genetic data from an Egyptian, a man buried around 4,500 years ago – what it told us
Adeline Morez Jacobs, University of Padua A group of scientists has sequenced the genome of a man who…
Denisovan DNA helped first Americans adapt, study says
A unique segment of Denisovan DNA, inherited through Neanderthals, was favored by natural selection and may have contributed to the adaptation of the first peoples to life in the Americas.
The discovery of an extinct shelduck highlights the rich ancient biodiversity of the remote Rēkohu Chatham Islands
An artist’s depiction of the Rēkohu shelduck. Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa , CC BY-ND Nic Rawlence, University of Otago;…
When Did Humans Learn to Talk? The Evolutionary Mystery of Language
Language is what makes us human, but since words don’t fossilize, their origin is a profound scientific puzzle.…
Cave reveals 75,000-year-old Arctic world in Norway
A 75,000-year-old animal community discovered in a Norwegian cave reveals how ancient Arctic species responded to and ultimately failed to survive dramatic climate shifts.
The Viewpoint: Can we really resurrect extinct animals, or are we just creating hi-tech lookalikes?
The ambitious effort to resurrect extinct species, such as the woolly mammoth, raises a key question: Are we truly reversing extinction, or just creating high-tech lookalikes?
Neanderthal gene variant linked to reduced athletic performance in modern humans
A gene variant inherited from Neanderthals produces a less efficient muscle enzyme, which may explain why some modern humans are less likely to become top-level athletes.
Ireland’s neolithic passage tombs were not just the burial place of the elite – new research
Neil Carlin, University College Dublin; Catherine J. Frieman, Australian National University, and Jessica Smyth, University College Dublin In…