In particular, it explains that humans have one fewer chromosome pair in their cells than apes, due to a mutation found in chromosome number 2 that caused two chromosomes to fuse into one.

It’s not clear why these backups have evolved. The new Y chromosome sequences could spell change for metagenomics research, which involves sequencing microbial genomes. Human DNA contaminants often ...

But it might also put us at risk for uniquely human brain disorders. The study appears in Nature. The research focused on parts of chromosomes known as human accelerated regions (HARs), which have ...

The nucleus of each human body cell contains 46 chromosomes. Each chromosome contains about 1000 genes. There is enough DNA in all the cells in a human body to stretch to the sun and back again ...

The research focused on parts of chromosomes known as human accelerated regions (HARs), which have evolved most rapidly since humans split from chimpanzees on the evolutionary tree – changing 10 ...