Tag: Biology
New method could reveal what genes we might have inherited from Neanderthals
Thousands of years ago, archaic humans such as Neanderthals and Denisovans went extinct. But before that, they interbred with the ancestors of present-day humans, who still to this day carry genetic mutations from the extinct species.
Ten years of ancient genome analysis has taught scientists ‘what it means to be human’
A ball of 4,000-year-old hair frozen in time tangled around a whalebone comb led to the first ever reconstruction of an ancient human genome just over a decade ago.
First member of ill-fated 1845 Franklin expedition is identified by DNA analysis
The identity of the skeletal remains of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition has been confirmed using DNA and genealogical analyses by a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo, Lakehead University, and Trent University.
Recolonisation of Europe after the last ice age started earlier than previously thought
A study that appeared today on Current Biology sheds new light on the continental migrations which shaped the genetic background of all present Europeans.
The Human Brain Grew as a Result of the Extinction of Large Animals
A new paper by Dr. Miki Ben-Dor and Prof. Ran Barkai from the Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University proposes an original unifying explanation for the physiological, behavioral and cultural evolution of the human species, from its first appearance about two million years ago, to the agricultural revolution (around 10,000 BCE).
Disease Tolerance: Skeletons Reveal Humans Evolved to Fight Pathogens
A new skeleton study is reconstructing ancient pandemics to assess human's evolutionary ability to fight off leprosy, tuberculosis and treponematoses, with help from declining rates of transmission when the germs became widespread.