dna
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Can Generic Ancestry Tests Really Prove You Have Viking DNA?
A middle-aged white man raises his sword to the skies and roars to the gods. The results of his genetic ancestry test have just arrived in his suburban mailbox. His eyes fill with tears as he learns that he is “0.012% Viking”. These are the scenes from a video advertisement for the TV-series Vikings. This…
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An Extinct Cave Bear’s DNA Was Still Readable After 360,000 Years
A tiny ear bone belonging to a cave bear that died some 360,000 years ago has yielded the oldest genome not sourced from permafrost. The newly sequenced genome is offering new insights into the evolution of cave bears and how climate change can precipitate the emergence of entirely new species.
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There Are At Least 41 Regions of DNA Involved in Left-Handedness
Most people consistently use the same hand to do tasks that require skill and control such as writing or threading a needle. We know genetics plays a big part in which hand a person prefers, but it has been difficult to identify the exact genes responsible. To find out more, we analysed the DNA of…
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Is Our Most Distant Animal Relative the Sponge or the Comb Jelly?
Scientists explore the data around what animal is the most distant relative of humans: the sponge or comb jelly.