genetics & genomics, evolution

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

Gulf killifish have made a stunning comeback in Houston with the help of genetic mutations imported from interspecies mating with Atlantic killifish.

The genomes of jellyfish are compared with those of other Cnidarian species that don’t have a free-swimming stage.

After the reported birth of CRISPRed babies in China, experts want to take time to consider the scientific, social, ethical, and philosophical consequences of editing heritable human DNA.

The study of evolution requires consideration of organisms’ microbiomes.

All life on Earth uses a genetic code based on four nucleotides. Now, scientists have created one with eight.

Certain adaptations identified in the fish’s DNA linked to wound healing, cancer protection, and a long life.

Researchers use a CRISPR-Cas9 strategy to expand a desired trait from 50 percent of mouse pups to about 72 percent.

Urban environments are driving genetic changes in resident species through multiple mechanisms, from establishing gene flow barriers to exerting novel selection pressures.

Clinical trials that target human endogenous retroviruses to treat multiple sclerosis, ALS, and other ailments are underway, but many questions remain about how these sequences may disrupt our biology.

From changes in gene flow to adaptation, the effects of urbanization are shaping the evolutionary trajectories of plants and animals.

The new finding could aid tiger conservation, with only 4,000 of the big cats remaining.

DNA damage kick-starts what was once a defunct duplicated gene, which kills off injured cells.

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

A re-analysis of sequencing data from a 2016 study of these tiny metazoans reveals possible contamination, rather than an exchange of DNA among species.

The surviving animals may have evolved genes that provided an advantage in fighting the disease.  

Divergent human lineages of North America intermingled before setting off to establish populations of Central and South America.  

Meet some of the people featured in the June 2018 issue of The Scientist.

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