genetics

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We've Been Getting Dumber —for Thousands of Years: Study

Hunter-gatherers were pretty darn smart: geneticist

(Newser) - Talk about optimism: A genetics professor in California argues that human beings have been dumbing down for thousands of years and will only grow dimmer down the road, the Independent reports. We probably peaked as hunter-gatherers, who survived by their wits, and saw a decline in natural selection of the...

Experts Decode Ancient Girl's Genome

Pinky bone reveals eye, hair color of child who lived 80K years ago

(Newser) - You can tell a lot about someone from her finger bone—even if it's 80,000 years old. Using the bone, scientists were able to sequence an ancient Siberian girl's genome 31 times; now, they can tell you her hair, eyes, and skin color, Science reports. (All were...

Internet Addiction Might Be Genetic

 Internet 
 Addiction 
 Might Be 
 Genetic 
study says
Aug 30, 2012 5:00 PM CDT

Internet Addiction Might Be Genetic

Same mutation associated with nicotine addiction

(Newser) - Internet addiction may be in our genes—just like nicotine addiction. In a study of 843 people, researchers found that 132 suffered "problematic" online behavior: "All their thoughts revolve around the Internet during the day, and they feel their well-being is severely impacted if they have to go...

Genes From Mom Give Females Edge on Long Life

Mutations that hurt males still get passed along

(Newser) - Natural selection usually eliminates the most dangerous mutations in our DNA—but one "loophole" ends up being a raw deal for males, LiveScience notes. It involves mitochondrial DNA, which typically comes entirely from the mother. Over time, moms weed out harmful mutations instead of passing them along to offspring....

If You Eat Poorly, Your Grandkids Pay Price

Diet can actually change your DNA: studies

(Newser) - What you eat can take a toll on your DNA, and the phenomenon can last for generations, two studies suggest. In other words, regardless of your children's and grandchildren's nutritional habits, your diet could put them at higher risk for obesity and diabetes, LiveScience reports. Researchers found that...

Doctors Discover Genetic Treatment for Leukemia

Lukas Wartman's cancer inspires unique study at Washington University

(Newser) - Dr. Lukas Wartman may be the world's luckiest cancer patient. Stricken with fatal leukemia, he inspired colleagues at Washington University to break new ground by sequencing his genes and analyzing his RNA—a near-equivalent to DNA—for possible genetic causes of his disease, the New York Times reports. They...

Red Tomatoes Explained: Blame Meteor
 Why Are Tomatoes Red? 
 Blame Meteor 
in case you missed it
Jun 16, 2012 1:20 PM CDT

Why Are Tomatoes Red? Blame Meteor

Dinosaur-killing impact forced the tomato into big changes, say scientists

(Newser) - Why are tomatoes red? The same reason dinosaurs were killed off, say scientists. The massive meteorite that struck Earth 60 to 70 million years ago created extremely harsh conditions that forced the evolution of the tomato into its current red and edible form, reports Phys.org . Researchers discovered this connection...

Scientists Crack Tomato Genome

Which should allow producers to breed tastier ones

(Newser) - What makes a tomato a tomato? Researchers now know all 35,000 genes that make up the answer to that question, Reuters reports. An international team of scientists has fully mapped the order, orientation, types, and relative position of all those genes inside both a domesticated and a wild tomato...

Oxford Scholars Search for Yeti

Will use genetic analysis in serious investigation

(Newser) - The search for the yeti is going high-tech. Thanks to genetic analysis, Oxford researchers hope to say for sure whether the creature of lore exists, Gizmodo reports. Working in conjunction with the Lausanne Museum of Zoology, researchers are asking people who claim to have evidence of the yeti to send...

Islanders' Blond Hair Is Genetic Quirk

It comes from a gene mutation, not Europeans

(Newser) - A peculiar pairing of dark skin and blond hair in the native population of the Solomon Islands is due to a unique gene and not, as previously thought, the intermingling of Europeans with the inhabitants, finds a new study. About 5 to 10% of the indigenous peoples on the islands...

Autism Tied to Gene Mutations for First Time

'It's a turning point,' says one scientist

(Newser) - Big autism news: A number of gene mutations linked to the disease have been uncovered for the first time, announced a number of scientists in three papers published yesterday. The sobering detail: These particular mutations are super rare, and are responsible for only a very small number of autism cases....

Scientists Find 'PTSD Gene'

Studying survivors of Armenian earthquake reveals genes linked to disorder

(Newser) - UCLA researchers think they've found a genetic link to post-traumatic stress disorder. The team studied survivors of a devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia, which killed 25,000 people, and found that those with a specific pair of genetic variations that has previously been linked to depression were more likely...

Climate Change Solution: Rebuild Human Beings

Bioengineering can make us smaller, smarter, and intolerant to red meat

(Newser) - Frustrated by the lack of progress in fighting climate change? Researchers suggest we should consider re-engineering human beings rather than trying to reverse climate change directly, LiveScience reports. "We might not be entirely serious that people should be doing this," says Anders Sandberg, an author of a study...

Men Not Going Extinct After All
 Men Not Going Extinct After All 
Feb 23, 2012 4:45 AM CST

Men Not Going Extinct After All

Y chromosome is steadier than science used to think

(Newser) - Relax, guys. It's no longer certain at all that you'll be extinct in 100,000 years, as one genetics professor predicted. Another scientist had decided that the all-important (to men) Y chromosome was losing genes at a rate that would make it non-existent in some 5 million years,...

Santorum Opposes Prenatal Tests

He rips insurance for amniocentesis, which 'creates abortions'

(Newser) - Amniocentesis for pregnant women? Forget it, says Rick Santorum. Such prenatal testing only results in more abortions, the candidate says. Santorum reiterated views he first expressed over the weekend in Ohio, where he ripped President Obama's support of insurance coverage of the test "because it ends up in...

Atheist Richard Dawkins: Slavery Profiteer?

Telegraph newspaper: His family once owned slaves

(Newser) - Renowned atheist Richard Dawkins fired back at the Telegraph today after the paper accused him of profiting—albeit indirectly—from slavery, the Guardian reports. The Telegraph's article notes that Dawkins' great great great great great grandfather, Henry Dawkins, owned 1,013 Jamaican slaves before he died in 1744. Dawkins...

Why Do More Men Get Heart Disease? Blame Dad

Some inherit a male Y chromosome with a higher risk

(Newser) - Men represent about two-thirds of heart disease sufferers, and a new study offers a possible hint as to why—men with a certain genetic ancestry were 50% more likely to be afflicted. The study analyzed 3,233 white UK men and examined their male Y chromosomes, which are passed down...

How Much Caveman DNA Do You Have?

Company scours genome for Neanderthal heritage

(Newser) - If you've ever wondered whether your boorish ex or oafish boss may be closely related to our caveman ancestors, you can now officially prove it with a genetic test. Genome-mapping company 23andMe is offering "The Neanderthal Test" this holiday season. Simply submit your saliva and you can find...

Worldwide Mega-Organism Spawned All Life

Ocean-wide network of cells survived by sharing proteins

(Newser) - Here's a subject for a monster movie—only there would be no victims, because it happened about 3 billion years ago. According to a new theory, the first life form on Earth was a mega-organism that once filled the world's oceans, then split up into parts that later...

Female Orgasm Exists for Unique Reason: Study
 Women's Orgasms 
 Exist Because... 
study says
Sep 10, 2011 1:41 PM CDT

Women's Orgasms Exist Because...

...well, who knows, but they serve a purpose: study

(Newser) - Turns out there is a unique reason for the female orgasm... but nobody knows what it is yet. The latest foray into female ecstasy involved asking about 10,000 pairs of opposite-sex siblings and twins about their sexual habits. The upshot: Most of the girls had no similarity with their...

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