Neanderthal genetic material is found in only small amounts in the genomes of modern humans because, after interbreeding, natural selection removed large numbers of weakly deleterious Neanderthal gene variants, according to a study by Ivan Juric and colleagues at the University of California, Davis, published November 8th, 2016 in PLOS Genetics. Continue reading “Evolution purged many Neanderthal genes from human genome”
Breastfeeding changes gene activity that may make babies less reactive to stress
It has long been known that there are many physical and mental health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies. But can these benefits be due to genetic changes induced by breastfeeding? New research suggests that connection. Continue reading “Breastfeeding changes gene activity that may make babies less reactive to stress”
Does our environment affect the genes in our brains?
Is there a link between differences in IQ test performance and the activity of certain genes? Researchers from Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin have shown that modifications in the structure of a specific gene have a negative impact on individual test performance. This suggests that environmentally-induced epigenetic changes to our genetic material have a greater impact on intelligence than previously thought. Results from this study have been published in Translational Psychiatry. Continue reading “Does our environment affect the genes in our brains?”
Analysis of 3800-year-old Yersinia pestis genomes suggests Bronze Age origin for bubonic plague
Here we present the ‘Abstract‘ of the corresponding paper by Maria A. Spyrou, Rezeda I. Tukhbatova, Chuan-Chao Wang, Aida Andrades Valtueña, Aditya K. Lankapalli, Vitaly V. Kondrashin, Victor A. Tsybin, Aleksandr Khokhlov, Denise Kühnert, Alexander Herbig, Kirsten I. Bos & Johannes Krause. Continue reading “Analysis of 3800-year-old Yersinia pestis genomes suggests Bronze Age origin for bubonic plague”
Επιστήμονες «διάβασαν» το DNA του αρχαιότερου βακτηρίου της πανούκλας
Δύο σκελετοί θαμμένοι μαζί σε έναν τάφο στην περιοχή της Σαμάρας στη Ρωσία, οι οποίοι ανήκουν σε δύο ανθρώπους που πέθαναν από βουβωνική πανώλη (πανούκλα) πριν από περίπου 3.800 χρόνια και αποτελούν τα αρχαιότερα γνωστά περιστατικά της τρομερής λοιμώδους νόσου, αποκάλυψαν τα μυστικά τους στους επιστήμονες. Continue reading “Επιστήμονες «διάβασαν» το DNA του αρχαιότερου βακτηρίου της πανούκλας”
Resurrecting Surviving Neandertal Lineages from Modern Human Genomes
Here we present the ‘Abstract’ of the corresponding paper by Benjamin Vernot, Joshua M. Akey. Continue reading “Resurrecting Surviving Neandertal Lineages from Modern Human Genomes”
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