The DNA mutations that drive evolution are generally thought to be fairly random, but a new study suggests there’s some order to the chaos. Comparing the genomes of hundreds of plants grown in a lab, ...

Long before modern medicine named and cataloged human herpesviruses, at least one of them was already quietly embedding ...

When Charles Darwin first proposed how evolution works in 1859, it seemed plausible. Tiny changes stack up over time, eventually leading a species to become something entirely different. Aside from ...

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through ...

The human genome is made up of 23 pairs of chromosomes, the biological blueprints that make humans … well, human. But it turns out that some of our DNA — about 8% — are the remnants of ancient viruses ...

Scientists have shown that in one in every 4,000 births, some of the genetic code from our mitochondria – the ‘batteries’ that power our cells – inserts itself into our DNA, revealing a surprising new ...

Researchers have identified evolutionary hotspots in DNA where mutations are more likely. The study authors say these findings will help us in the future to predict the evolution of bacteria and ...

The oldest DNA ever recovered from an animal is adding new chapters to mammoth life history, going back more than 1 million years. The findings “really highlight the exciting times that we live in,” ...

A new study shows that DNA duplication has been vitally important throughout the evolutionary history of gymnosperms, a diverse group of seed plants that includes pines, cypresses, sequoias, ginkgos ...

With more than 55% of the world’s population now living in cities, the frantic pace of urban life is changing life on a genetic level. Through rapid evolution, we are seeing the formation of ...