Genetic Archaeology News - November 2008 Archives
Studies establish response strategy for emerging infections
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The Plague of Athens is one of 10 historically notable outbreaks described in an article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases by authors from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The phenomenon of widespread, socially disruptive disease outbreaks has a long history prior to HIV/AIDS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, H5N1 avian influenza and other emerging diseases of the modern era, note the authors.
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A virus that causes cold-like symptoms in humans originated in birds and may have crossed the species barrier around 200 years ago, according to an article published in the December issue of the Journal of General Virology. Scientists hope their findings will help us understand how potentially deadly viruses emerge in humans.
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 | Scientists at Penn State are leaders of a team that is the first to report the genome-wide sequence of an extinct animal. The scientists sequenced the genome of the woolly mammoth, an extinct species of elephant that was adapted to living in the cold environment of the northern hemisphere. They sequenced four billion DNA bases using next-generation DNA-sequencing instruments and a novel approach that reads ancient DNA highly efficiently. ...> Full Article |
Results published in Heredity provide evidence for theory regarding early stages of sex chromosome evolution and illustrate how plants can serve as models for understanding early evolution
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The earliest evidence of a nuclear family, dating back to the Stone Age, has been uncovered by an international team of researchers, including experts from the University of Bristol.
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Evolution isn't just for living organisms. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found that the mineral kingdom co-evolved with life, and that up to two thirds of the more than 4,000 known types of minerals on Earth can be directly or indirectly linked to biological activity. The finding, published in American Mineralogist, could aid scientists in the search for life on other planets.
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As any good beer brewer knows, the yeast used in fermentation stick together in large clumps consisting of thousands of cells that settle out where they are easily removed. But despite the fact that yeast are a major laboratory "workhorse," any further exploration of their social lives had remained almost entirely neglected. Indeed, the "domesticated" yeast commonly studied in genetics labs have had any social tendencies bred out of them.
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 | Many of the world's deep-sea octopuses evolved from species that lived in the Southern Ocean ...> Full Article |
All biological reactions within human cells depend on enzymes. Their power as catalysts enables biological reactions to occur usually in milliseconds. But how slowly would these reactions proceed spontaneously, in the absence of enzymes -- minutes, hours, days? And why even pose the question?
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Proteins with cruise control provide new perspective
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An international team of researchers provides nsights into the genetic structure and history of lion populations. Their work refutes the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single, randomly breeding population. It also indicates the importance of preserving populations in decline as opposed to prioritizing larger-scale conservation efforts.
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The evolution of novel characteristics within organisms can be enhanced when environments change in a systematic manner
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 | DNA evidence shows conclusively that males from a North American warbler species interbred with females from a related species and took over a large part of the other species' range. ...> Full Article |
Scientists have identified the first gene that is associated with a common childhood language disorder, known as specific language impairment (SLI). The gene -- CNTNAP2 -- has also been recently implicated in autism, and could represent a crucial genetic link between the two disorders.
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Marks of differences between human and chimp genomes
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Study offers an explanation for life's organization
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 | A "living fossil" tree species is helping researchers understand how tropical forests responded to past climate change and how they may react to global warming in the future. ...> Full Article |
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Fish can recognize a face based on UV pattern alone
'Anaconda' meets 'Jurassic Park': Study shows ancient snakes ate dinosaur babies
Scientists locate apparent hydrothermal vents off Antarctica
Mars Express heading for closest flyby of Phobos
Artificial bee silk a big step closer to reality
Predicting the fate of stem cells
Artificial foot recycles energy for easier walking
New fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing
What drives our genes? Researchers map the first complete human epigenome
Juggling enhances connections in the brain
Tracking down the human 'odorprint'
Fill 'er up - with algae
Scientists discover quantum fingerprints of chaos
Researchers help identify cows that gain more while eating less
Unselfish molecules may have helped give birth to the genetic material of life
Exploring Echinacea's enigmatic origins
Lizard moms choose the right genes for the right gender offspring
Modern man found to be generally monogamous, moderately polygamous
Ancient DNA from rare fossil reveals that polar bears evolved recently and adapted quickly
Does promiscuity prevent extinction?
Stickleback genomes shining bright light on evolution
Researchers uncover DNA sequence of extinct ancient cattle
Small dogs originated in the Middle East
Ancient DNA reveals caribou history linked to volcanic eruption
Scientists create tiny RNA molecule with big implications for life's origins