Genomes

A reconstruction of a Gravettian hunter-gatherer, based on archaeological findings at the Arene Candide site in Italy.Illustration: Tom BjoerklundResearchers scrutinized the genomes of hundreds of Ice Age hunter-gatherers from across Eurasia and found that many people stayed in southern Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum, the coldest part of the last Ice Age.Groups that made up the Gravettian culture, which existed across Europe between 32,000 and 24,000 years ago and is known for its iconic Venus figurines, had…

Red junglefowl are the wild ancestors of the chicken, and the two are known to readily admix. In their study, Wu et al. found evidence of a loss in wild genotype in the red junglefowl across the Anthropocene by comparing contemporary genomes with historic ones from approximately a century ago. In their native range in Southeast Asia, free-roaming red junglefowl exhibit domestic traits indicative of domestic introgression into the wild population (shown here). Credit: Yong Chee Keita Sin, Wu et al, 2023. CC-BY 4.0Estimates…

Scientists have sequenced to chromosome level the genomes of great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks, showing that their populations have declined over 250,000 years. Credit: © Chris Vaughan-JonesScientists have sequenced the genomes of two endangered sharks. Low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding ring alarm bells for great hammerheads, but there may be hope for shortfin makos that showed higher genetic diversity and limited inbreeding.“With their whole genomes deciphered at high resolution we have a much better…

Skull. Credit: Sergey V. Semenov The movement of people across the Bering Sea from North Asia to North America is a well-known phenomenon in early human history. Nevertheless, the genetic makeup of the people who lived in North Asia during this time has remained mysterious due to a limited number of ancient genomes analyzed from this region. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on January 12 describe genomes from ten…

The remains of three people who died on a riverbank in the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Siberia some 500 years ago have yielded a surprising secret: Their DNA shows they had some North American ancestry, according to a study published today. Considered alongside other ancient and modern genomes, the results suggest that although the ancestors of today’s Native Americans came from Asia, the passage was not one way. Instead, the Bering Sea region was a place…

Scientists have sequenced the genomes of two ancient skeletons, and found they constitute the oldest human DNA in the British isles. The data reveals the story of two separate migrations of early humans into what is now the UK, and how these different cultures lived.One of the skeletons was found in Gough’s Cave in Somerset, while the other was a person who lived in Kendrick’s Cave in North Wales. They were both thought to date back to the end of the Paleolithic period, between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. By that point,…

The history of the banana is more complicated than you might have ever imagined (if you ever thought about it at all).More than 7,000 years ago, Oceania communities began to selectively grow wild Musa acuminata plants for their choice characteristics. Over time the plant's fruit gradually evolved into the famous sweet, seedless, conveniently-packaged banana we've all come to love.Unfortunately today, most of the bananas we consume are clones of a single variety. Without diverse genetic approaches to handling diseases, it…

Ferns are vascular plants that reproduce through spores and do not have seeds or flowers.A new study reveals ferns’ history of DNA hoarding and kleptomania.Ferns are infamous for having an enormous number of chromosomes and massive amounts of <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>DNA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule composed of two long strands of nucleotides that coil around…

Along the murky bottom of the Amazon River, serpentine fish called electric eels scour the gloom for unwary frogs or other small prey. When one swims by, the fish unleash two 600-volt pulses of electricity to stun or kill it. This high-voltage hunting tactic is distinctive, but a handful of other fish species also use electricity: They generate and sense weaker voltages when navigating through muddy, slow-moving waters and when communicating with others of their species through gentle shocks akin to morse code.Normally,…

There's something really peculiar about ferns.Their DNA is weird and complex. In fact, one species of fern – Ophioglossum reticulatum, or the adder's tongue fern – holds the record for the multicellular organism with the most number of chromosomes. Around 720 pairs of chromosomes can be found in most of its cellular nuclei.Well, turns out we were right to be suspicious.After years of painstaking work, scientists have finally sequenced the gargantuan genomes of three different homosporous ferns, revealing that these…