genetics

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Genghis Khan Probably Didn't Procreate as Much as Thought

New DNA analysis links Mongol elites to haplotype that is rare in modern people

(Newser) - That oft-cited claim that one in every 200 humans alive today descends from Genghis Khan just took a hit. A new DNA study of remains from Kazakh mausoleums tied to the Mongol Empire suggests the genetic footprint of the 13th-century conqueror's male line is much smaller than earlier research...

Bananas May Soon Get a Break From a Devastating Fungus
Scientists May Have a Way
to Stop Banana Apocalypse
in case you missed it
Feb 28, 2026 3:33 PM CST

Scientists May Have a Way to Stop Banana Apocalypse

They've pinpointed genetic resistance to a devastating fungus

(Newser) - Bananas may not be doomed after all . Australian researchers say they've pinpointed a key stretch of DNA that helps some bananas fend off a major fungal threat—a finding they hope will keep the $140 billion global industry from repeating the near-wipeout of the Gros Michel variety in the...

On Longevity, 'You Don't Have as Much Control as You Think'

Study suggests genetics explain over half of lifespan differences, rather than lifestyle choices

(Newser) - How long you live may be more baked in than you think, according to a new analysis of longevity that leans heavily toward genes over lifestyle. In a paper published Thursday in Science , researchers led by Uri Alon of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science report that inherited factors appear...

JonBenet Ramsey's Dad: This Is Why Cops Suspected Me

John Ramsey explains that he 'didn't go crazy' after girl went missing; now wants more DNA tests

(Newser) - Nearly three decades after JonBenet Ramsey was killed in her family's Colorado home, investigators are publicly signaling that new DNA tools may finally move the case forward. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said in a recent video statement that the long-stalled investigation "remains a top priority" and noted...

Climate Change Is Altering Polar Bear DNA
Climate Change Is
Altering Polar Bear DNA
NEW STUDY
Dec 15, 2025 8:43 AM CST

Climate Change Is Altering Polar Bear DNA

Study suggests species might avoid extinction, with some help

(Newser) - Polar bears appear to be rewriting parts of their DNA in response to a warming Arctic, according to new research that scientists describe as both alarming and cautiously hopeful. A study from researchers at the University of East Anglia, published in the journal Mobile DNA , suggests this is the first...

No Evidence Tylenol Causes Autism, Major Review Finds

Researchers say genetics, not painkillers, likely explain autism, ADHD diagnoses

(Newser) - A comprehensive review has found no solid evidence linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism or ADHD in children, despite recent political warnings urging women to avoid the painkiller. The review, published in the British Medical Journal , was expedited to address concerns raised after President Trump claimed that acetaminophen—sold...

Even Light Drinking Boosts Dementia Risk
Even Light Drinking
Jacks Your Dementia Risk
NEW STUDY
Oct 16, 2025 7:51 AM CDT

Even Light Drinking Jacks Your Dementia Risk

Prior 'one drink a day' advice was based on skewed data, new research suggests

(Newser) - A decades-old belief that a daily drink might do the brain some good just took another hit. According to a new study in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine , light, regular alcohol consumption can raise the risk of developing dementia. Researchers tracked more than 550,000 people aged 56 to 72 and...

How a 117-Year-Old Woman Redefined the Science of Aging
117-Year-Old's
Biological Age Was
23 Years Younger
NEW STUDY
Sep 24, 2025 4:28 PM CDT

117-Year-Old's Biological Age Was 23 Years Younger

'Please study me,' said woman who helped redefine the science of aging

(Newser) - Scientists in Spain have taken an in-depth look at what set Maria Branyas Morera apart, hoping her record-breaking longevity could help unlock the mysteries of healthy aging. Branyas, who was the world's oldest person when she died last year at 117, volunteered for an exhaustive round of tests...

'The Tomato Is the Mother of the Potato'
'The Tomato Is the
Mother of the Potato'
NEW STUDY
Aug 2, 2025 7:30 AM CDT

'The Tomato Is the Mother of the Potato'

'Next time you eat potatoes, thank a tomato,' genome researcher says

(Newser) - "Next time you eat potatoes, thank a tomato," says genome biologist Sanwen Huang. A new study published in Cell has upended what scientists thought they knew about the potato: It turns out potatoes evolved from tomatoes. Huang and his team says the modern potato likely appeared about...

Gender Isn't So Random, Research Suggests
Gender Isn't Quite
a Coin Flip: Research
new study
Jul 20, 2025 2:00 PM CDT

Gender Isn't Quite a Coin Flip: Research

Maternal age and genetics may tip the odds

(Newser) - A newborn's sex isn't quite a coin flip, a new study suggests, finding that family genetics and maternal age mean it's more like tossing a weighted coin unique to each family. Researchers at Harvard University analyzed pregnancy data from more than 58,000 US nurses over...

'Definitely Cool' Study Digs Into Male-Female Height Gap

Study finds SHOX gene accounts for a fifth of the height gap

(Newser) - Why are men, on average, taller than women? A massive new genetic study reveals how a single gene may account for a slice of the difference. The SHOX gene has been thought to influence height—but since it's present on both X and Y chromosomes, researchers could only...

Scientists Pinpoint Gene Tied to Human Language
Scientists Pinpoint Gene
Tied to Human Language
NEW STUDY
Feb 18, 2025 10:52 AM CST

Scientists Pinpoint Gene Tied to Human Language

Protein variant found only in humans may have helped us learn to communicate the way we do

(Newser) - Why did humans start speaking? A new study links one gene to the origins of spoken language, proposing that a protein variant found only in humans may have helped us communicate in a novel way—and what scientists learn may someday help people with speech problems. Speech over the centuries...

Amid 'Substantial Doubt,' 23andMe Cuts 40% of Workers

Genetic testing company to slash 200 jobs in restructuring effort after a painful year

(Newser) - The genetic testing company 23andMe hasn't been doing so hot lately, watching its share price plummet more than 70% this year, and CEO Anne Wojcicki has desperately been trying to right the ship. Now, a streamlining: The BBC reports the firm has slashed 200 jobs, or about 40% of...

Do Your Kids Glare at Their Plate? It May Be in the Genes

Researchers say picky eaters may be more nature than nurture

(Newser) - Have a fussy young eater at home, or know someone who does? Many parents will vouch that their own kids are similarly finicky when mealtime rolls around, and now new research suggests that pickiness may be genetic—meaning refusing to consume one's broccoli or glass of milk may be...

A Harvard Aging Expert Faces Severe Blowback
A Harvard Aging Expert
Faces Severe Blowback
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 4, 2024 4:50 PM CDT

A Harvard Aging Expert Faces Severe Blowback

'WSJ' explores how geneticist David Sinclair is accused of pushing claims to 'reverse aging' too far

(Newser) - If you've looked into the idea of trying to stave off aging, chances are you've encountered the work of Harvard geneticist David Sinclair. He has become one of the nation's foremost "longevity influencers," the Wall Street Journal reports. But its lengthy profile digs into how...

23andMe Has Gone From Hot to Not. Can Its CEO Save It?

Stocks are trading below $1, but Anne Wojcicki sees promise in drug development

(Newser) - Genetic testing company 23andMe's stock is trading at around 75 cents as of this writing, a precipitous fall for a company that the Wall Street Journal dubs "one of the hottest startups in the world ... five years ago." Its valuation has fallen 98% from its former $6...

Food and Exercise Aren't the Only Keys to Living Past 90

Luck, in the form of genetics, plays a major roll in longevity, new research is making clear

(Newser) - While trend pieces that describe which foods to eat or the magic number of steps to walk each day may help curb disease and increase longevity, a key factor to living a very long life isn't within our control. Per the Wall Street Journal , research on aging increasingly shows...

Neanderthal Genes Suspected in Severe COVID Cases
Neanderthal Genes Suspected
in Severe COVID Cases
NEW STUDY
Sep 22, 2023 11:45 AM CDT

Neanderthal Genes Suspected in Severe COVID Cases

Study looks at a hard-hit city in Italy

(Newser) - Individuals who suffer a severe COVID-19 infection may perhaps blame genes inherited from our cousins the Neanderthals. A new study focused on the northern Italian city of Bergamo, an early epicenter found to have one of the world's highest COVID-19 death rates, links a set of DNA variants, or...

You and Your Doppleganger Share More Than Looks
You and Your Doppleganger
Share More Than Looks
new study
Aug 25, 2022 12:25 PM CDT

You and Your Doppleganger Share More Than Looks

Study shows that unrelated look-alikes also share genes and even behaviors

(Newser) - Studies of twins are common. Studies of unrelated people who could pass for twins, not so much. But in Cell Reports , researchers dug deep into the phenomenon of dopplegangers—look-a-likes who are aren't actually related—and discovered that they share far more than superficial appearances, reports Science Alert . An...

Scientist Behind Gene-Edited Babies Is Let Out of Prison

He Jiankui was convicted, sentenced in China in December 2019

(Newser) - Update: A Chinese biophysicist jailed in China for his role in helping to create the world's first gene-edited babies is a free man once more. The release of He Jiankui, who was convicted and sentenced to three years behind bars in December 2019 on charges of practicing medicine illegally,...

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