genetics & genomics, human evolution

A massive, well-preserved skull discovered in China in the 1930s belongs to a new species called Homo longi, researchers report, but experts remain skeptical about the evidence.

A selective advantage may have led the modern human Y chromosome to sweep through the Neanderthal population after it was introduced via interbreeding more than 100,000 years ago.

Africa’s sparse fossil record alone cannot reveal our species’ evolutionary history.

Modern human genomes and bones left behind from ancient hominins in Africa tell a complex story about the origins of our species.

Genetic evidence points to individuals from South America having possibly floated on a raft to Polynesian islands about 500 years before Europeans navigated there.

A study points to the existence of an ancient human relative that interbred with Homo sapiens.

Mitochondrial DNA and other factors place our ancestors in southern Africa 200,000 years ago.

From skin color to immunity, human biology is linked to our archaic ancestry.

See when and where our ancestors may have interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Mutating a gene called CMAH in mice so it’s nonfunctional, as in humans, upped the animals’ chances of developing heart disease, a study finds.

Sequences from dozens of ancient remains from Siberia reveal the closest ancient relative of Native Americans found outside of North America.

A finding pushes back the timeline on humankind’s conquest of one of Earth’s harshest environments, and may provide clues about interactions with their hominin relatives.

Contrary to earlier results, FOXP2 did not undergo a “selective sweep” as humans developed language, a study finds.

Three members of a gene family called NOTCH2NL may have been involved in the evolution of humans’ big cortex.

Analyses of more than 300 ancient human genomes show that Hepatitis B virus has infected humans for at least 4,500 years and has much older origins than modern viral genomes would suggest.

Humans living in higher latitudes tend to have a variant of a gene involved in sensing cold temperatures, but it comes with a cost.  

The adaptation gives better endurance to the Bajau people, known as sea nomads, by increasing spleen size and, in turn, boosting the number of oxygenated red blood cells when diving.  

The genome of an infant who lived in Alaska thousands of years ago represents a previously unknown group of humans called Ancient Beringians, who share a common lineage with other Native Americans. 

Andean highlander genomes possess cardiovascular-related variants, while populations from other regions evolved different solutions to manage the lack of oxygen.