Humans and other species have a gene mutation that lets them digest alcohol. In other species, it’s missing.
Tag: Genetics and Heredity
Did a Mutation Turbocharge the Coronavirus? Not Likely, Scientists Say
A preliminary report posted online claimed that a mutation had made the virus more transmissible. Geneticists say the evidence isn’t there.
In Italy, Going Back to Work May Depend on Having the Right Antibodies
Weighing an idea that might once have been relegated to science fiction, Italy once again finds itself in the unfortunate vanguard of Western democracies grappling with the coronavirus.
Haunted by a Gene
For the first time, Nancy Wexler reveals that she has inherited the disease she has spent her life studying.
Coronavirus May Have Spread in U.S. for Weeks, Gene Sequencing Suggests
Two cases detected weeks apart in Washington State had genetic links, suggesting that many more people in the area may be infected.
Neanderthal Genes Hint at Much Earlier Human Migration From Africa
Modern humans may have left the continent as long 200,000 years ago, a new analysis suggests.
Why Is Air Pollution So Harmful? DNA May Hold the Answer
It’s not just a modern problem. Airborne toxins are so pernicious that they may have shaped human evolution.
Why Are These Foxes Tame? Maybe They Weren’t So Wild to Begin With
In a famous experiment, scientists bred Russian foxes without a fear of people. But the foxes’ ancestry raises new questions about when they became tame and what counts as domestication.
China Uses DNA to Map Faces, With Help From the West
Beijing’s pursuit of control over a Muslim ethnic group pushes the rules of science and raises questions about consent.
Was This 18,000-Year-Old Siberian Puppy a Dog or a Wolf?
The animal was buried in a lump of frozen mud in Russia, its fur, whiskers and body fully intact. Scientists are studying its DNA to understand whether it is a dog or a wolf.