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Two donkeys interacting at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark
Science Snapshot: Pin the Domestication on the Donkey
A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.
Science Snapshot: Pin the Domestication on the Donkey
Science Snapshot: Pin the Domestication on the Donkey

A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.

A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.

domestication, genetics & genomics

Humans Domesticated Yeast Through Bread-Making: Study
Max Kozlov | Dec 11, 2020 | 4 min read
Over centuries of cultivating Saccharomyces cerevisiae to make dough, bakers have put selective pressure on the species, causing it to diverge into two distinct groups, according to the authors.
DNA Evidence Shows Ancient Humans and Dogs Migrated Together
Lisa Winter | Oct 31, 2020 | 3 min read
The study is the first to show a genomic relationship between dogs and humans on the move.
Image of the Day: Tomato Domestication
Amy Schleunes | Mar 30, 2020 | 1 min read
Scientists identify a transcription factor that plays a key role in increased fruit size.
Ancient Wheat Genome Reveals Clues to the Agricultural Past
Jef Akst | Mar 1, 2020 | 5 min read
A museum sample of a 3,000-year-old Egyptian crop plant yields genomic information that helps researchers track the plant’s domestication and migration.
Dogs’ Friendly Demeanor Written in Their DNA
Bob Grant | Jul 20, 2017 | 2 min read
Researchers pinpoint the genes that make pooches so dang affable.
Dogs Have a Single Genetic Origin: Study
Diana Kwon | Jul 18, 2017 | 2 min read
A new genetic analysis contradicts a 2016 study proposing that our canine companions were domesticated from two distinct populations.
Dog Domestication History Clarified
Bob Grant | Jun 3, 2016 | 2 min read
A study suggests that wolves were transformed into man’s best friend more than once, in Asia and in Europe or the Near East.
Domestication’s Downsides for Dogs
Ashley P. Taylor | Dec 21, 2015 | 3 min read
The selection of traits suitable for human companionship may have dragged along some unfavorable alleles.
Pumpkins Saved By People?
Jef Akst | Nov 25, 2015 | 2 min read
Domestication may have saved pumpkins, gourds, and squash as seed dispersers like the mastodon went extinct. 
Three Origins for Rice?
Karen Zusi | Nov 3, 2015 | 2 min read
Rice was domesticated three separate times across Asia, a new study suggests.
Unexpectedly Wild
Karen Zusi | Sep 1, 2015 | 2 min read
Genomic analysis reveals pigs interbred with wild boars during domestication.
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | May 1, 2015 | 3 min read
The Genealogy of a Gene, On the Move, The Chimp and the River, and Domesticated
Dog-Wolf Split
Jef Akst | Jan 17, 2014 | 2 min read
Yet another genetic study of modern canines, both wild and domestic, supports the notion that humans domesticated dogs before growing crops.
Origin of Domestic Dogs
Ed Yong | Nov 14, 2013 | 3 min read
New analysis suggests that domestic dogs evolved from European wolves that interacted with human hunter-gatherers.
Dogs and Human Evolving Together
Dan Cossins | May 16, 2013 | 2 min read
A sequencing study suggests that some genes have evolved in parallel in humans and their canine companions, likely as a result of shared selection pressures.
Dogs Adapted to Agriculture
Ed Yong | Jan 23, 2013 | 3 min read
As wolves became domesticated, their genes adapted to a starch-rich diet of human leftovers.
Beer Yeast Identified
Jef Akst | Aug 23, 2011 | 1 min read
A new yeast species found in Patagonia appears to be the missing half of the long-used lager yeast.
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