Latest genetics Stories
Can I have a pet fox?
These seawater-sipping robots use drifting genes to make ocean guest logs
Esther Lederberg changed our understanding of how bacteria breed
The Human Cell Atlas is pinpointing where our bodies break down
A viral descendent of the deadly 1918 flu is probably still going around
The biggest myth about dog breeds
What ancient graves can teach us about the history of inequality
By
Carles Lalueza-Fox / MIT Press
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Anthropologists are still wrestling with their obligations to the living and dead
How vampire bats evolved to get the most out of their bloody diets
A deep dive on the evolution of COVID and its variants
Ancient DNA paints a vivid picture of early humans in Africa
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Sawchuk et al. / The Conversation
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The genes behind your fingerprints just got weirder
Good news for lychee lovers: There may be a way to grow the fruits year-round
Is it ok to eat GMO foods? Scientists say ‘yes.’
How do you track a salmonella outbreak? A data journalist followed the DNA trail to slaughterhouses.
By
Irena Hwang/ProPublica
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23andMe can now test for BRCA mutations. Here’s what you need to know.
Animals have an internal ‘GPS’ that tells body parts where to grow
By
Ethan Bier/The Conversation
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Some people have a gene that could make COVID far more deadly
The protein that keeps worker ants in line can also make them queen
Scientists can now tell if you had a ‘vanishing’ twin in the womb
This CRISPR startup thinks that mammoths can save the Arctic. Is it right?
5 reasons you can’t sleep
4 unexpected facts about the Northern cardinal, a bird you should know better
Go ahead, marry your cousin—it’s not that bad for your future kids
These popular pet lizards may hold the key to studying skin cancer
23andMe Decides It Won’t Automatically Reunite Long Lost Relatives
Green algae genes helped a blind man see for the first time in 40 years
Scientists Have Made Worms With Heads Resembling Other Species
Computer Software Folds DNA Into Bunny Shapes
The Bugs Behind The Bed Bug Genome
Can industrial farming be a force for good?
By
Ted Genoways
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Ask Us Anything: Why do humans stop growing?
Understanding plant biological clocks could boost future agriculture
High temperatures can cause embryonic bearded dragons to change sex
Seed banks are full of hidden fungi, and scientists love it
By
Rowena Hill/The Conversation
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A peregrine falcon’s power to migrate may lie in its DNA
Neanderthal genes are still helping humans today
Doggie DNA tests help predict the breeds that will be Puppy Bowl MVPs
Corpse flowers across the country are swapping pollen to stay stinky
It might not always take years to develop vaccines
Scientists are tracking down deep sea creatures with free-floating DNA
The secret to helping this resilient whale species lies in its genes
By
Emma Carroll/The Conversation
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This neurobiologist wants to know if children can inherit trauma genetically
Gut bacteria might flip the effects of a common cancer-causing mutation in an unexpected way
Gene-edited cows could make meat more sustainable. But would people eat it?
By
Dyllan Furness/Undark
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Humans have partnered with sled dogs for 9,500 years
Lefties aren’t as weird as you might think
Why we evolved to feel empathy during pandemics and other disasters
By
Peter Sterling/MIT Press Reader
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How do we get our eye color?
The answer to lactose intolerance might be in Mongolia
The ‘chew chew cult’ is a Victorian diet fad that should really, really never come back
A mysterious cluster of deaths amongst Amish children has finally been solved
DNA tests can’t tell you your race
The science behind this adorable puppy’s forehead tail
A controversial new study claims Botswana may be the origin of modern humanity
Gender and class inequalities haven’t really changed for 4,000 years
Collecting more diverse DNA samples could exploit the very people scientists want to help
By
Adrian Pecotic/Undark
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A massive study confirms no one ‘gay gene’ controls sexual preference
A tiny Polish village has had nothing but baby girls for a decade—and that’s actually pretty normal
By
Craig Anderson/The Conversation
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Anorexia may be more complicated than we thought
How do deer grow antlers so quickly?
By
Matthew Every/ Outdoor Life
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The Atlantic cod’s migratory supergene comes at a cost
The first paternity tests involved ‘blood vibration.’ They didn’t work.
By
Nara Milanich
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Why do cats—and so many other animals—look like they’re wearing socks?