Leveraging a unique statistical analysis and applying it to ancient DNA extracted from human skeletal remains, a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Los Angeles has revealed new insights into how ancient Europeans adapted to their environments over 7,000 years of European history. The study was published last week in the journal Nature Communications.

Phys.org Evolution News

21.11.2024

Dinosaur drumsticks, X-ray videos and 3D models shed light on the evolution of bird motion

Wings may be the obvious choice when studying the connection between dinosaurs and birds, but a pair of Yale paleontologists prefer drumsticks. That part of the leg, they say, is where fibular reduction among some dinosaurs tens of millions of years ago helped make it possible for peacocks to strut, penguins to waddle, and turkeys to trot.

Phys.org Evolution News

21.11.2024

Algorithm predicts DNA methylation in ancient specimens, providing insight into human evolution

Research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution. As DNA methylation is a key marker of gene expression, this work allows scientists to explore changes in gene activity in the brain and other tissues that are typically absent from the fossil record.

Phys.org Evolution News

21.11.2024

Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops

More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environmental changes.

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Phys.org Evolution News

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Ancient DNA sheds light on adaptation of early Europeans at the dawn of the agricultural revolution

Dinosaur drumsticks, X-ray videos and 3D models shed light on the evolution of bird motion

Algorithm predicts DNA methylation in ancient specimens, providing insight into human evolution

Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops

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