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The Enormous Denisovans of Ancient Asia
For years, the Denisovans have been one of the most mysterious chapters in human evolution. Known mostly from tiny bone fragments and ancient DNA, these extinct cousins of Neanderthals and modern humans have remained shadowy figures. But new research is starting to fill in the picture, and it suggests something surprising: at least some Denisovans…
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Helping Today’s Bison with Yesterday’s DNA
A new genetic study is giving fresh hope for one of North America’s most iconic animals: the bison. Researchers have analyzed DNA from 115 ancient bison, some of which lived tens of thousands of years ago, to understand how these animals survived past changes in climate and habitat. Their findings could help protect the bison…
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How Parchment DNA Is Revealing History
For hundreds of years, old manuscripts have preserved the ideas, stories, laws, and beliefs of different societies. Today, scientists have discovered that these manuscripts contain another type of history. Their DNA can provide information about the animals whose skin was used to make the parchment. Parchment is made from animal skin. Sheep, goats, and cattle…
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The Enormous Denisovans of Ancient Asia
For years, the Denisovans have been one of the most mysterious chapters in human evolution. Known mostly from tiny bone fragments and ancient DNA, these extinct cousins of Neanderthals and modern humans have remained shadowy figures. But new research is starting to fill in the picture, and it suggests something surprising: at least some Denisovans were enormous possibly among the tallest and heaviest humans of the Ice Age. The story…
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The Enormous Denisovans of Ancient Asia
For years, the Denisovans have been one of the most mysterious chapters in human evolution. Known mostly from tiny bone fragments and ancient DNA, these extinct cousins of Neanderthals and modern humans have remained shadowy figures. But new research is starting to fill in the picture, and it suggests something surprising: at least some Denisovans were enormous possibly among the tallest and heaviest humans of the Ice Age. The story…
-
Helping Today’s Bison with Yesterday’s DNA
A new genetic study is giving fresh hope for one of North America’s most iconic animals: the bison. Researchers have analyzed DNA from 115 ancient bison, some of which lived tens of thousands of years ago, to understand how these animals survived past changes in climate and habitat. Their findings could help protect the bison that still roam today. The bison is North America’s largest land mammal and an important…
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How Parchment DNA Is Revealing History
For hundreds of years, old manuscripts have preserved the ideas, stories, laws, and beliefs of different societies. Today, scientists have discovered that these manuscripts contain another type of history. Their DNA can provide information about the animals whose skin was used to make the parchment. Parchment is made from animal skin. Sheep, goats, and cattle were commonly used for this purpose. The skin was cleaned, stretched, and dried before people…