Proof of evolution is in your DNA Anthropology Biology Genetics and Heredity Science Videos STEM Education 

Proof of Evolution Is in Your DNA

Another great video from our friend Dr. Joe Hanson and the team behind the video series It’s Okay to Be Smart, brought to you by PBS Digital Studios. This time, we’re looking at the proof of evolution that’s embedded right there in our DNA. According to Dr. Hanson, “Humans are special, and we got that way thanks to evolution and natural selection. The proof is right there in our bodies! From anatomy to genes, here are some stories of how you got to be the way you are.” Evolution of…

DNA Analysis Reveals Four Distinct Giraffe Species Genetics and Heredity Zoology 

DNA Analysis Reveals Four Distinct Giraffe Species

By Katherine Lindemann Researchers have long recognized only a single species of giraffe, thought to be made up of several subspecies. However, a research collaboration has now identified four distinct species. Conservation biologist Julian Fennessy of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, geneticist Axel Janke of the Senckenberg Research Institute, and their colleagues collected and analyzed samples from giraffes across the African continent. Their results appear in the journal Current Biology. ResearchGate: When and why did you start genetically testing giraffes across Africa? Julian Fennessy: When I approached Axel Janke to help…

Pathogenic Triggers of Bacterial DNA Discovered Biology Health 

Pathogenic Triggers of Bacterial DNA Discovered

By Shayna Keyles @shaynakeyles Bacteria, those mysterious, microscopic creatures living in, on, and around us, are very often our benign neighbors with whom we quietly cohabitate and occasionally exchange mutual support. However, as anyone who has ever gotten pneumonia or strep throat knows, bacteria are not always looking out for our best interests. Occasionally, bacteria become pathogenic and infect their hosts, and if we are their hosts, we get sick. In a groundbreaking study published on July 29 in Science Access, researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory uncovered the molecular…

Viral DNA: Photo courtesy of Amanda Mills via the CDC Biology Health 

Virus DNA in Humans: What’s in Your Genes?

We all carry remnants of DNA from viruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. In fact, all mammals have virus DNA in their genes, but the human species has far less, according to a new study. Why? The reason could be that humans were exposed to fewer blood-borne viruses as we evolved to use tools, rather than our teeth for hunting and fighting. If you’re surprised to learn that we do have some virus DNA in our genes, don’t panic. It’s normal. Despite natural defense systems, a retrovirus…