Dr Pontus Skoglund, winner of this year’s Balfour Lecture for early career researchers, uses ancient DNA to unlock the secrets of human evolution, old diseases and population migration.
All tagged evolution
Larry Moran: What’s in your genome?
If less than two per cent of your genome is actual genes, then what’s the rest? Is it just junk?
Nature’s genetic engineers
Some organisms don’t stick with the genome they’ve got they alter it along the way through programmed chromosome elimination and genome editing.
Jim Costa: Alfred Russel Wallace, a radical by nature
Professor Jim Costa, author of ‘Radical by Nature’, tells us about the extraordinary life of Alfred Russel Wallace and how this Victorian naturalist shaped our views on evolution.
Thomas Boothby: Surviving at the extremes of life
Prof. Thomas Boothby studies how tardigrades survive extreme conditions and how we can use these adaptations to improve human health, both on Earth and in space.
Linda Goodman: Stealing secrets from sleepy squirrels
Dr Linda Goodman tells us about the research Fauna Bio are doing into the hibernation adaptations of 13-lined ground squirrels, and how it might help humans recover from heart attacks.
My milkshake brings all the genes to the yard
While it might not be as dramatic a superpower as being able to live four kilometres up a freezing mountain, the ability of many humans to drink milk in adulthood is certainly handy. As the story goes, the spread of this gene through populations in some parts of the world coincided with the rise in dairy farming. In turn, this enabled people to get more protein and fat in their diets, grow healthy and strong, and outcompete the non-milk drinking populations around them. But the latest research suggests that this neat evolutionary Just So story may not be true.
Sarah McAnulty: the secret lives of squid
Squid biologist Dr Sarah McAnulty explains what squid are, how they evolved, and why they are so difficult to genetically modify.
Why don’t elephants get cancer? The curious case of TP53
A family trip to the zoo led Josh Schiffman to uncover the reason why elephants hardly ever develop cancer
Genes Down Under
A new platypus genome helps to explain some of the unusual characteristics of this mysterious monotreme
Where did DNA come from?
We explore the ideas behind the origins of RNA and DNA
Making new genes or stealing them?
We discover where genes come from, and how some species steal them
Kieren Mitchell: Direwolves and their DNA
Researchers are studying ancient DNA to understand the evolution and extinction of direwolves - yes, they’re real!
The story of Sonic Hedgehog
From six-toed cats to cyclops lambs, we explore the fascinating story and science behind the Sonic Hedgehog gene.
Kalina Davies: Supersenses - The evolution of bat echolocation
Kalina Davies is investigating how bats evolved echolocation, using high-pitched sound to sense the world around them.
Elizabeth Castro Salas: Tequila bats and coronaviruses
Elizabeth Castro Salas is studying Mexican tequila bats to find out how they can pick up and transmit infectious diseases like coronaviruses.
Emma Teeling: Bats and why I love them
Leading bat geneticist Emma Teeling explains why bats are so brilliant and what we can learn from their genomes.
Go big or go home
From giant dinosaurs and blue whales to oversized capybaras, some animals are built on a bigger scale. But how have they evolved to be so huge?
Island life
From elephants to humans, we discover why island living turns some animals into giants and others into dwarves
Helen Pilcher: Genetically modified wolves, fainting goats and golden gnus, how humans are shaping species
Helen Pilcher explains how humans have shaped the evolutionary trajectories of the species living alongside us on the planet.