Articles written by Jenny Ashford

A newly discovered gene variation causes lowered fertility. The mutant allele of gene DEFB 126 may be carried in the genome of as many as half of all men.

Jul 21, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Genetic evidence suggests a temporary branching and subsequent recombination in early human lineage.

Jul 6, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

The relationship between snakes and pre-humans may have compelled particular adaptations, including improved vision.

Jun 29, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Over the past 5,000 years, the human genome has evolved at a rate far faster than at any other time in its history.

Jun 21, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Ancient humans' relationship with companion animals may have spurred evolution in more ways than one.

Jun 7, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Small proto-simian strengthens Eocene link between North American and East Asian land masses.

May 31, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Controversy over religious ideas and teachers not sufficiently trained in the subject ensure that evolution gets short shrift in classrooms.

May 27, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

New findings show this early hominid's diet was far different from what was previously thought.

May 17, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Fossils from Spain indicate Neanderthals ate one another to stave off starvation, or simply as a cultural norm.

May 10, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Fossils indicate right-handed dominance in human ancestors and suggest early brain asymmetry.

May 3, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Studies of rhesus monkeys demonstrate that proto-racist attitudes may be present in humans' simian relatives.

Apr 12, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Human migration into the Americas happened earlier than previously theorized.

Apr 12, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

The mutation that originally caused blue eyes can be traced to a single common ancestor.

Mar 23, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

In the relative blink of an eye, natural selection acted upon a segment of the Chinese population, making them tolerant of high altitudes.

Mar 23, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Recently discovered foot bones from A. afarensis suggest that the species walked more than they climbed.

Mar 1, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Change in environment caused swift selection in southern U.S. insect species.

Feb 28, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Two reclassified groups of organisms are more complex than previously thought.

Feb 23, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Among animals, including humans, size of testes can be a clue to species promiscuity.

Feb 9, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Finds push the origin of sexual intercourse back several million years.

Jan 26, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

In 2003, a gang of thieves made the largest haul in history, and many details of how they did it remain a mystery.

Jan 11, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

The illustrated fifteenth-century book is written in an unknown language and still puzzles experts today.

Jan 4, 2011 - Jenny Ashford

Fossils of Denisovans suggest a subgroup unlike modern humans or Neanderthals.

Dec 28, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Most of today's best-selling soft drinks - including Coke and Pepsi - were originally marketed as tonics.

Dec 22, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

The Irish cook was responsible for infecting dozens of people in early 20th-century New York City.

Dec 15, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Researchers are confident that the new "trap" will help in studying the strange matter/antimatter imbalance in the universe.

Dec 7, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Although some studies seem to show that the religious are more generous, the truth is actually far more ambiguous.

Dec 1, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Paradoxically, individuals of lower socioeconomic status seem to have superior social and emotional skills.

Nov 17, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

While early brain development in the two species is similar, major differences occur later and point to significant divergence in brain function.

Nov 10, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Icy impacts may have provided water and essential organic compounds early in the planet's history.

Nov 4, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Some people possess a gene variant that protects them from becoming alcoholics by making them highly sensitive to ethanol.

Oct 20, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Despite hysterical claims, it is impossible for the miniscule amount of energy emitted by cell phones to cause damage to the body.

Oct 14, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Several new findings shed light on the boy king's family tree and mysterious death.

Oct 5, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

The idea that recent human ancestors may have once lived in the water is not taken seriously, but raises interesting questions.

Sep 29, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

The discovery of a virus nearly identical to current hepatitis-B shows hepadnavirus is older than previously thought.

Sep 29, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

A landmark 1973 study demonstrated that telling the difference between sanity and insanity isn't so cut and dried.

Sep 17, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Research on human hair reveals peaks and valleys in human sleep cycles.

Aug 24, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

The accidental discovery of Cryogenian-era sponges suggests life is 70 million years older than previously thought.

Aug 18, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Do voodoo priests make "real" zombies using a powder containing tetrodotoxin?

Aug 17, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Newly discovered fossils in Ethiopia may push early human tool use back to the australopithecines.

Aug 12, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Recent research on rats shows that other brain areas can compensate when the "fear center" is not functioning.

Aug 10, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

There remains a strong cultural bias toward seeing humans as a special end goal of evolution, but most scientists reject this view.

Aug 9, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

A series of experiments showed that people rejected by others developed physical symptoms indistinguishable from an immune response.

Aug 3, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Alleged psychics ply their wares freely, but the illusion of psychic power can be demonstrated with common magicians' tricks.

Aug 2, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

A supernova could be responsible for the uneven pattern of particles recently seen by scientists at a neutrino observatory in Antarctica.

Jul 30, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Known as the "Flynn Effect," this increase could mean people are getting smarter, or it could be a simple testing anomaly.

Jul 28, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

A study of prosperous democracies demonstrated a low correlation between religiosity and societal health, though the reasons for this are unclear.

Jul 22, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Research suggests people may be able to navigate simply by using sound, even when they're not aware of it.

Jul 12, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

A new exploration of an undersea mountain range yielded a treasure trove of never-before-seen creatures.

Jul 7, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

Poe's detective story "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" was based on a real 1841 crime, which remains unsolved to this day.

Jul 6, 2010 - Jenny Ashford

A new technique reveals the unusual diffracting cells that produce the iridescent hues of butterfly wings.

Jun 14, 2010 - Jenny Ashford