Extinct human relatives left a genetic gift that helped people thrive in the Americas
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 9-Sep-2025 21:11 ET (10-Sep-2025 01:11 GMT/UTC)
The study, published in Science, focused on a gene known as MUC19, which is involved in the production of proteins that form saliva and mucosal barriers in the respiratory and digestive tracts. The researchers show that a variant of that gene derived from Denisovans, an enigmatic species of archaic humans, is present in modern Latin Americans with Indigenous American ancestry, as well as in DNA collected from individuals excavated at archeological sites across North and South America.
A new study by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology researchers shows that Americans with less education are aging faster than their peers with more schooling, and the gap has grown over the last 30 years.
The study examined “biological aging,” which goes deeper than simply counting birthdays. Biological aging measures how the body is changing over time, including how well organs and systems are working.
The National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Anna Gottschlich, assistant professor of oncology in the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, a five-year, $916,545 career development award to support her research on the epidemiology of cancer health disparities and early detection and interception strategies to improve cancer equity.