Genealogical and genetic ancestors aren’t the same thing. A DNA match − or a lack of one − may not tell you what you imagine ...

The work demonstrates the power of ancient DNA to illuminate human biology and medicine in addition to history. A massive ...

A man buried inside a ceramic pot in a limestone tomb near the Nile more than 4,500 years ago has yielded the first complete ...

Africa has long been known as the cradle of humanity. Fossils, tools and genetics all point there. Yet the deeper story of how the first modern humans lived, moved and mixed has stayed blurry. Too ...

Researchers deciphered ancient genomes from the Green Sahara, revealing an isolated North African human lineage.

In October 2015, scientists reconstructed the genome of a 4,500-year-old man who lived in Ethiopia. It was the first time that anyone had created a complete genetic snapshot of an African from an ...

The moment a creature dies, its DNA begins to break down. Half of it degrades every 521 years on average. By about 6.8 million years, even under ideal preservation conditions in cold, stable ...

Together with artifacts from the past, ancient DNA can fill in details about our ancient ancestors. Credit: Nina R/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Every person alive on the planet today is descended from ...

(CNN) — Today, the view from the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya is of endless sandy dunes and barren rock, but 7,000 years ago, this region of the Sahara Desert was a far lusher, ...