Two new studies have shown that environmental DNA can be collected from the air and used to detect a variety of animals, offering what scientists say is a “novel, non-invasive approach” to monitoring biodiversity.
The bones of a teenage hunter-gatherer who died more than 7,000 years ago on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi tell the story of a previously unknown group of humans.
What makes humans unique? Scientists have taken another step toward solving an enduring mystery with a new tool that may allow for more precise comparisons between the DNA of modern humans and that of our extinct ancestors.
The result underscores how big of a hand interbreeding among ancient hominids had in shaping us
For almost 2 decades, genomes isolated from fossils have galvanized the study of human evolution. Yet despite vast improvements in retrieving and analyzing that DNA, researchers have deciphered whole genomes from just 23 archaic humans, 18 of them Neanderthals. This week, however, marks the publication of the fourth study in less than 3 months describing isolation and sequencing of DNA from sediments. The studies reveal new details about which animals and humans lived in these areas over time—and when. Together, they also open the door to what will be a far more plentiful supply of ancient genetic material and a richer understanding of the life of the humans, bears, bison, and other organisms that supplied that DNA.
From texts and tweets, to emails, archives, digital photos and videos, it seems the only thing vaster than the amount of data we have on Earth is the universe. So how do we store it all?
Some chromosomes look like crumpled balls while others resemble flat sheets of paper, heat maps show
It has been 176 years since the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage expedition, and its catastrophic outcome — the loss of the discovery ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, and all 129 officers and crew — continues to fascinate.
Advanced technique used to recover genetic material may help solve the mystery of early humans
We shed DNA everywhere. That includes the air, according to a new study.
