natural selection

Map of the areas from which ancient and modern DNA samples were collected in a study of natural selection in western Eurasia. Credit: Akbari A. et al., Nature, 2026

Ancient DNA reveals: Human evolution did not stop, but continued to operate over the past thousands of years

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A large-scale study led by Harvard researchers identified hundreds of genetic variants that have changed under the influence of natural selection over the past ten thousand years.
Ancient DNA from Denisovans left humans with a significant genetic advantage — a gene variant that could have helped early Americans survive new pathogens, and may still affect our health today. It allowed the Sherpa tribe of Nepal to live easily in the Himalayan highlands. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The hidden Denisovan gene that helped humans conquer the Americas

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Traces of long-buried Denisovan DNA are resurfacing in the genomes of modern humans—and they may still be working in our favor today
Mutations. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New 'danger' region discovered in DNA could change what we know about human disease

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A new study has uncovered an important, previously neglected, locus of mutations at the start points of human genes. These regions undergo mutations at a much higher frequency than expected, especially during the earliest stages of embryonic development,
How does the variation in flower colors occur, and why does the same species appear in different colors?. Anemones. Image courtesy of Prof. Yuval Sapir

Why are flowers colorful? Hint: It's not always natural selection

Evolutionary studies reveal: Sometimes flower colors result from precise ecological adaptations to pollinators and the environment, and sometimes it is a random variation that is preserved simply because it has no clear advantage.
Japanese women wearing kimono. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A new study has discovered three main genetic groups in Japan and not two as previously thought

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A new study analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 3256 people across Japan, using the Japan Biobank database. The division is: a group in Okinawa, related to an ancient population living in Japan, mud in northeastern Japan, possibly related
A giant otter swims in a lake in the Amazon rainforest in Peru. Photo: shutterstock

biological explosion

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