Jul 31 2009
“But we always go there!”
And so begins another Friday night. When it comes to choosing where to go to dinner, my husband likes to stick with the tried and true. I like trying out new places.
A new study suggests that the roots of this conflict could spring partly from our genes. It suggests that a [...]
Jul 29 2009
Ten millennia ago, there were about six million people on Earth. Today, there are six billion.
This thousandfold increase in the global population is often thought to be linked to the invention of farming and the domestication of animals about 13,000 years ago in the Near East. Growing crops and raising live animals requires a larger [...]
Jul 27 2009
Mutations are bad, right?
Not always. Some DNA changes are completely neutral. That’s how the human genome came to have so many variations. And some mutations are actually advantageous.
A case in point is the PCSK9 gene. So-called “loss-of-function” mutations that prevent the protein encoded by this gene from functioning properly actually lead to lower cholesterol levels.
Researchers [...]
Jul 24 2009
In 1974, scientists digging in the dry lake bed of Lake Mungo in southeastern Australia uncovered the skeleton of a man preserved in the deep layers of sand and clay. Dating techniques eventually revealed that this individual died about 40,000 years ago.
Scientists and the popular press dubbed the individual “Mungo Man.” Why did he make [...]
Jul 23 2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Jul 22 2009
The Neanderthals have always held a special place in the field of anthropology. The skeletal remains of our short, stocky evolutionary relatives have been found everywhere from Spain to Iraq.
Their physical likeness to our own species, and the possibility that humans and Neanderthals may have interacted, has long fascinated experts and enthusiastic novices alike. But [...]
Jul 21 2009
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Jul 20 2009
It may be you’ve heard a rumor that males are on the brink of extinction.
Whatever you may think of that prospect, the rumor is false. But over the past decade, numerous studies have hinted that the Y chromosome, a male necessity, is going the way of the dodo.
Though other studies have suggested this idea may [...]
Jul 17 2009
On occasion, the Spittoon departs from its usual mission of bringing you the latest and greatest in human genetics news in order to report on particularly interesting discoveries in other species. Many times these stories are about dogs and the reason is simple: dogs are awesome.
Well, there is more to it. In addition to being [...]
Jul 16 2009
The exact causes of Crohn’s disease remain a mystery, but scientists do know that genetic factors play an important part. More than 30 variations have been associated with increased risk for the disease, but changes in one gene, NOD2, have been found to be especially critical. Three different variants in this gene have been associated [...]
