Whole-genome sequencing efforts around the world have offered important insights into human diversity, historical migrations, and the relationships between people of different regions—but scientists still don’t have a complete picture because some regions and people remain understudied. A new study reported in the journal Cell on August 4 helps to fill one of these big gaps by … Continue reading 137 Human Genomes From the Middle East Fill Gaps in Human History (Paleontology) →

A joint research team led by Prof. FU Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sequenced the ancient genomes of 31 individuals from southern East Asia, thus unveiling a missing piece of human prehistory.  The study was published in Cell on June 24.  Prof. FU’s team used DNA capture techniques … Continue reading New Findings Unveil a Missing Piece of Human Prehistory (Paleontology) →

Researchers reconstruct the oral microbiomes of Neanderthals, primates, and humans, including the oldest oral microbiome ever sequenced from a 100,000-year-old Neanderthal, and discover unexpected clues about human evolution and health Living in and on our bodies are trillions of microbial cells belonging to thousands of bacterial species – our microbiome. These microbes play key roles … Continue reading The Surprising Evolutionary History of Our Oral Bacteria (Paleontology) →