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The biotechnology firm Oxitec has released boxes throughout Brazil that contain genetically-modified male mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti

Genetically modified mosquitoes cut the insect's number by 96 per cent

31 October 2022

In a city in Brazil, male mosquitoes were released that expressed a gene that meant their female offspring, which bite and transmit infections, couldn't survive


Genetic variants may influence the likelihood we will smoke or drink alcohol

Thousands of genetic variants may influence smoking and alcohol use

7 December 2022

In a study of nearly 3.4 million people, almost 4000 genetic variants were linked to how much alcohol a person drinks a week, the age some start smoking and whether they quit the habit


Illustration of a Neolithic farming village

Evolution of lactose tolerance probably driven by famine and disease

27 July 2022

Archaeological and genetic evidence casts doubt on the idea that the ability to digest lactose after infancy evolved gradually


'Dogor', an 18,000 year-old wolf puppy from Yakutia which was included in the study

Dogs are descended from two populations of ancient wolves

29 June 2022

Modern dogs have ancestry from wolves in Asia and Europe, according to a study analysing DNA from 72 ancient wolves going back 100,000 years


Wild Wild Life newsletter: When species steal each other’s genes

Wild Wild Life newsletter: When species steal each other’s genes

17 February 2022

Recent discoveries of horizontal gene transfer reveal that animals and plants are swapping genes across different species - but how do they do it and what might it mean for evolution?


Sweet Happy birthday cake decorated with candle ready for party

Gene variant found in centenarians appears to slow the ageing process

31 January 2022

A rare variant of the SIRT6 gene increases DNA repair in human cells, and learning its effects could help to develop anti-ageing drugs


The fight against coronavirus needs to embrace evolutionary theory

The fight against coronavirus needs to embrace evolutionary theory

14 July 2021

We're not taking evolution into account properly in our pandemic strategy – here's why we must change tack, says Jonathan Goodman


Richard Lewontin

Richard Lewontin: Pioneering evolutionary biologist dies aged 92

5 July 2021

Richard Lewontin was an evolutionary biologist who showed that most genetic variation is within populations rather than between “racial” groups


DNA

Parasitic DNA makes us age faster - but we're not sure why

21 December 2022

Genetic parasites called retrotransposons become more active as we age, and an animal study suggests this may trigger immune responses that shorten our lifespans


family

New test shows which bits of your DNA are from which biological parent

8 June 2022

A test uses epigenetic marks on your DNA to determine which parts of your genome came from each biological parent