Scientists Reveal Homo Sapiens’ Secret of Success
A new study argues that the greatest defining feature of our species is not ‘symbolism’ or dramatic cognitive change, but rather its unique ecological position…
Humans
Interdisciplinary Approach to Human Evolution Yields New Insights
The evolution of human biology should be considered part and parcel with the evolution of humanity itself, proposes Nicole Creanza, assistant professor of biological sciences….
Scientists Believe Humans Will One Day Colonize the Universe
A new study from the University of Oxford looks at the possibility of human colonization throughout the universe. Scientists as eminent as Stephen Hawking and…
HMP Maps the Healthy Human Microbiome
With microbes outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1, the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) Consortium looks at how these microorganisms coexist with their human hosts…
Examining the Genes of Stone Age Farmers
New findings from a team of Swedish-Danish evolutionary biologists show that the genetic variation of today’s Europeans was strongly affected by immigrant Stone Age farmers….
Human Presence Increases Indoor Bacteria
Bacteria are everywhere and in much larger amounts than you may realize. A new study looks at how much a lone human presence affects the…
Scientists Discover New Type of Extra-Chromosomal DNA
Scientists from the University of Virginia and University of North Carolina have discovered a previously unidentified type of circular DNA molecule occurring outside the chromosomes…
Human Y-Chromosome Has Enough Genes to Stay for Millions of Years
The male-sex determining Y chromosome is here to stay, having lost only one gene in the last 25 million years, a new study of human…
Virus Gene Syncytin Insinuated Itself in Mammalian DNA Millions of Years Ago
Syncytin is a gene that was found in the human genome, but is bears all of the hallmarks of originating from a virus. Back in…
Humans Implicated in Africa’s Deforestation 3,000 Years Ago
A new study published in the journal Science suggests that humans might have played a significant part in the sudden deforestation of rainforests from Central…
Botched Pressure Test of Russian Soyuz Capsule Delays Launch by a Month
The Russian space capsule Soyuz was slated to launch on March 29th, but a botched pressure test has delayed the launch until May 15th. Soyuz…
Human Brains Take Longer to Wire Up Than Simian Ones
Human brains make synaptic connections throughout much of childhood, and the brain’s plasticity enables humans to slowly wire them based upon experiences, contrary to how…
Human Stem Cells Transplanted Into Mouse Brains
Scientists have reported that they have successfully transplanted human stem cell-derived neurons into the brains of living mice. Human embryonic stem cells grown in a…