Researchers find ancient DNA preserved in modern-day humans
Residents of the remote equatorial islands of Melanesia share fragments of genetic code with two extinct human species. That's the key finding of a new study published March 17 in the journalScience.
First successful extraction of ancient DNA from a southern African mummy
Researchers have presented one of the first computerised tomography (CT) scans of a mummified individual from southern Africa, and also completed the first successful aDNA (ancient DNA) extraction from such remains.
Science sheds new light on the life and death of medieval King Erik
The saint's legend speaks of a king who died a dramatic death in battle outside the church in Uppsala, Sweden, where he had just celebrated mass. But what can modern science tell us about his remains?
Did Henry VIII suffer same brain injury as some NFL players?
Henry VIII may have suffered repeated traumatic brain injuries similar to those experienced by football players and others who receive repeated blows to the head, according to research by a Yale University expert in cognitive neurology.
Genetic study reveals 50 thousand years of independent history of Aboriginal Australian people
The first complete sequences of the Y chromosomes of Aboriginal Australian men have revealed a deep indigenous genetic history tracing all the way back to the initial settlement of the continent 50 thousand years ago, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.
Mutated gene associated with colon cancer discovered in 18th-century Hungarian mummy
The modern plagues of obesity, physical inactivity and processed food have been definitively established as modern causes of colon cancer.
Digging into the DNA for a successful diet
Genes are the latest trend in nutrition, at least going by the burgeoning legion of Internet companies offering diets tailored to our genetic make-up. These services are relatively affordable and simple to use.
Predicting human evolution: Teeth tell the story
A new study led by evolutionary biologist Alistair Evans of Monash University in Australia, took a fresh look at the teeth of humans and fossil hominins.
3-D technology used to safely reveal the diet of ‘Chaucer’s children’
Biological anthropologists have discovered a new way of examining the fragile teeth of children who lived between the 11th and 15th centuries without damaging them.
Slavery carried bilharzia parasites from West Africa to the Caribbean, genomics confirms
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Imperial College London and Royal Veterinary College scientists used the full DNA sequences of Schistosoma mansoni parasites from Africa and the French Caribbean to discover the fluke’s origins, map its historic transmission and identify the secrets of its success.
Neanderthal DNA has subtle but significant impact on human traits
The discovery spawned a number of hypotheses about the effects these genetic variants may have on the physical characteristics or behavior of modern humans, ranging from skin color to heightened allergies to fat metabolism…generating dozens of colorful headlines including “What your Neanderthal DNA is doing for you” and “Neanderthals are to blame for our allergies” and “Did Europeans Get Fat From Neanderthals?”
Clues about human migration to Imperial Rome uncovered in 2,000-year-old cemetery
Isotope analysis of 2000-year-old skeletons buried in Imperial Rome reveal some were migrants from the Alps or North Africa.
Gender equality among Stonehenge burials
A new study, involving Institute research student Christie Willis, has found that around half of the prehistoric bones at Stonehenge belonged to women.
New research into the origins of the Austronesian languages
THE languages known as Austronesian are spoken by more than 380 million people in territories that include Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Madagascar and the islands of the Pacific.
Descendants of Black Death confirmed as source of repeated European plague outbreaks
An international team of researchers has uncovered new information about the Black Death in Europe and its descendants, suggesting it persisted on the continent over four centuries, re-emerging to kill hundreds of thousands in Europe in separate, devastating waves.
