Tag Archives: mitochondrial DNA

The Evolutionary History of Extinct and Living Lions

I’m fairly obsessed with cave lions. If one were to open up my head and look at my brain’s RAM it would be something like 70% facts about extinct species of cat, 20% stuff that my wife and kids tell … Continue reading

Posted in American Lion, Cave Lion, DNA, Homo sapiens | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Neanderthals and us: we’re not so different

I cried the first time I saw a Neanderthal. I was 8 years old, sat cross-legged on the wooden floorboards, watching The Land That Time Forgot. Everything around me ceased to exist as I was transported to a world of … Continue reading

Posted in Neanderthal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Who were the Denisovans anyway?

Human evolution used to be the preserve of two groups of academics: the ones who liked fossils and the ones who liked stone tools. Both regarded the other as peculiar for being obsessed with the wrong part of a massive … Continue reading

Posted in Denisovan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments