What does it mean to be human? For a long time, the answer seemed clear. Our species, Homo sapiens — with our complex thoughts and deep emotions — were the only true humans to ever walk the Earth.

Scientists have successfully recovered what may be Leonardo da Vinci's DNA from a centuries-old red chalk drawing, marking a breakthrough that could unlock secrets about one of history's greatest ...

Scientists have found what they have described as a "unique time capsule" in the bricks of the ancient palace of King Ashurnasirpal II. Using modern biotechnology, researchers from the University of ...

A genetic analysis of dozens of ancient skeletons from East Africa helps pin down the origins of coastal Swahili society. By Elie Dolgin A long history of mercantile trade along the eastern shores of ...

Researchers have retrieved Neanderthal nuclear DNA from cave deposits in northern Spain and southern Siberia, yielding new clues to the population history of Neanderthals. With the advent of nuclear ...

In the last decade, archaeologists have learned to read the genetic traces that ancient humans and Neanderthals left not only in bones, but in the dirt beneath their feet. By treating cave sediments ...

The famous insect biologist, Edward O. Wilson, who died this week once said, “There is a need for a discipline of anthropological genetics.” Indeed, in the past few decades, the growing efficiency and ...