Your Experiences Change You—Scientists Think They Could Change Your DNA, Too

Called “Lamarckian Inheritance,” the theory suggests that those experiences can even be passed down to future generations.

Scientists clock a driving factor in the evolution of error correction

All complex biological systems—like the DNA, RNA and proteins constantly being copied and built within our cells—are prone to errors. That means as life evolved to be more elaborate, it also had to ...
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Ancient viral DNA may play a key role in early human development, new study suggests

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 ...

Uncovering evolution at the center of cell division

Centromeres play virtually the same central role across the entire tree of life: They ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Yet the striking diversity in centromere ...

Scientists sharpen genetic maps to help pinpoint DNA changes that influence human health traits and disease risk

Scientists have identified how specific genetic changes function in cells to influence disease risk and other human health ...

What are ghost lineages? Ancient ancestors hiding in modern human DNA whose fossils were never found

Our DNA reveals extinct "ghost lineages" that shaped human evolution, painting a complex, "braided stream" of history rather than a simple progression. These ancient groups, leaving no fossils, ...