Discoveries gleaned from ancient human DNA
Four research articles published in Nature follow the genetic traces and geographical origins of human diseases far back in time. The analyses provide detailed pictures of prehistoric human diversity and migration, while proposing an explanation for.....»»
Climate resilience over the past 5,000 years: How human communities have adapted throughout history
According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average temperature in 2024 will almost certainly exceed the limit of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average temperature as set in the Paris Climate Agreement for the first eve.....»»
A new twist: The molecular machines that loop chromosomes also twist DNA
Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Delft University of Technology and the IMP Vienna Biocenter have discovered a new property of the molecular motors that shape our chromosomes. While six years ago they found that these so-called SMC motor protei.....»»
Buried landforms reveal North Sea"s ancient glacial past
An international team of researchers, including a glaciologist at Newcastle University, UK, has discovered remarkably well-preserved glacial landforms buried almost 1 km beneath the North Sea......»»
Ancient Roman harbor wooden structures analyzed with MRI technology
In a recent study, rare wooden structures from the Roman Empire were investigated in a wide range of ways using NMR methods. These methods, widely known for their use in hospital MRI scans to produce detailed images of the human body, have proven equ.....»»
How Australia"s ancient forests became an arid zone
I didn't plan to become a botanist, I just pursued activities that made me happy. Studying subjects that make you light up can guide you towards a career that doesn't really feel like work because you find it fascinating......»»
Scientists call for all-out, global effort to create an AI virtual cell
Noting that recent advances in artificial intelligence and the existence of large-scale experimental data about human biology have reached a critical mass, a team of researchers from Stanford University, Genentech, and the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative.....»»
Climate change intensified back-to-back Philippines storms: Study
Human-induced climate change fueled a rare string of back-to-back typhoons that battered the Philippines this year and boosted the chances of powerful storms making landfall, a new study said on Thursday......»»
Neanderthal-human interbreeding lasted 7,000 years, new study reveals
A new analysis of DNA from ancient modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Europe and Asia has determined, more precisely than ever, the time period during which Neanderthals interbred with modern humans, starting about 50,500 years ago and lasting about 7,0.....»»
Ancient genomes link early Europeans to Neanderthal ancestry
After modern humans left Africa, they met and interbred with Neanderthals, resulting in around 2–3% Neanderthal DNA that can be found in the genomes of all people outside Africa today. However, little is known about the genetics of these first pion.....»»
Studies pin down exactly when humans and Neanderthals swapped DNA
We may owe our tiny sliver of Neanderthal DNA to just a couple of hundred Neanderthals. Two recent studies suggest that the gene flow (as the young people call it these days) betw.....»»
How soil bacteria contribute to the growing global issue of antibiotic resistance
Soil plays a much bigger role in the spread of antibiotic resistance than one might imagine. Surprisingly, the ground beneath us is packed with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—tiny codes that allow bacteria to resist antibiotics. Human activitie.....»»
Human settlement of Mars isn"t as far off as you might think
Could humans expand out beyond their homeworld and establish settlements on the planet Mars? The idea of settling the red planet has been around for decades. However, it has been seen by skeptics as a delusion at best and mere bluster at worst......»»
How a piece of plastic shut down DNA testing at crime lab
It was technically a successful scientific discovery when analysts at the Hennepin County, Minnesota, forensic science lab recognized there was a contaminant somewhere in its DNA process. That did not lessen the sense of dread......»»
Stone Age insights: Life, death and fire in ancient Ukraine
A research group led by Johannes Müller at the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, at Kiel University, Germany, have shed light on the lives of people who lived over 5,600 years ago near Kosenivka, Ukraine......»»
Fast, rewritable computing with DNA origami registers
DNA stores the instructions for life and, along with enzymes and other molecules, computes everything from hair color to risk of developing diseases. Harnessing that prowess and immense storage capacity could lead to DNA-based computers that are fast.....»»
Glen Coe: Fresh archaeological discoveries bring new insights into lives of massacred MacDonald clan
Archaeology excels in giving insights into the everyday lives of people in the past. It is only very occasionally that we get those spine-tingling moments when we can connect the artifacts and structures we excavate to very specific people and events.....»»
Recycling human and animal excreta could help meet nutrient supply for global crops
It might not be a pleasant image, but recycling all the human and livestock feces and urine on the planet would contribute substantially to meeting the nutrient supply for all crops worldwide, thereby reducing the need to mine fertilizers such as pho.....»»
New set of human rights principles aims to end displacement and abuse of Indigenous people
For more than a century, conservationists have worked to preserve natural ecosystems by creating national parks and protected areas. Today the Earth faces a global biodiversity crisis, with more than 1 million species at risk of extinction. This make.....»»
Mathematicians make leap in modeling human impact on climate
A breakthrough in the theory of climate change science has given scientists the most robust way yet to link observed climate change to both human-made and natural causes and to spot early warning signals for potential climate disasters......»»
Human intrusions ruffle the feathers of even the boldest penguins
Little penguin habitats and colonies are under threat from urban development and human activities, according to a new article in the journal Behaviour......»»