Human variation

Studies of genetic differences between people and populations can shed light on what makes us individual and on the history and evolution of humans as a species.

Features


	Video feature: People of the British Isles What does Britishness mean to a scientist? How does a person from Kent differ from one from the Hebrides? People of the British Isles is a project cataloguing the genetic basis of the entire UK. 08/12/10

	Creating variation Evolutionary change by natural selection (or genetic drift) requires variation in DNA. Where does this variation come from? 15/01/07

	Naming names If two men have the same surname, how likely are they to be related? 23/10/06

	Meet the ancestors What fossils and genetics tell us about human evolution. 03/10/06

	Are humans still evolving? We may have removed many selective pressures, but humans probably are still evolving. 29/09/06

	Tracing human evolution History meets the human genome. 29/09/06

	Is size everything? Controlling human brain size Human genetics, genome sequencing projects and cell biology are providing fascinating insights into the origins of our most important organ - the brain. 04/10/05

	A series of fortunate events Scientists are analysing genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees to shed light on the evolution of the human brain. 01/10/05

	Gene geography: History's genetic legacy Three Oxford professors are Investigating how genetic structure varies geographically in the UK. 15/12/04

	Genes and alcoholism Finding the genes that drive us to drink. 01/06/04

	Chimpanzees shed light on the evolution of human senses Insights into the evolution of sight, smell and speech are emerging from comparisons of the human genome with the DNA of chimpanzees and other primates. 19/03/04

	Clues to the evolution of humans' large brain A birth defect gene may be key to evolution of humans' large brain. 08/03/04

	DNA fingerprinting and national DNA databases In part 3 of the DNA fingerprinting story, Sir Alec Jeffreys discusses the introduction of PCR to DNA fingerprinting and the launch of the National DNA database, and argues for a DNA database for all citizens. 24/02/04

	DNA fingerprinting enters society Part 2 of the DNA fingerprinting story looks at immigration disputes and criminology. 12/02/04

	Discovering DNA fingerprinting Forensics, paternity and immigration have been revolutionised by DNA fingerprinting. Sir Alec Jeffreys describes its development. 04/02/04

	Mitochondrial DNA and human history Studies of mDNA can solve genetic and historical riddles, as Bryan Sykes explains. 10/09/03

	Lands of our fathers: Y-chromosome diversity and the histories of human populations Mark Jobling explores the Y chromosome and human history. 24/06/03

	The roots of red hair People with red hair have a variant in just one gene, as Jonathan Rees discusses. 02/04/03

	Genes and drug responses Variations in the human genome are associated with differing responses to drugs. 05/09/02

"Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history." Charles Darwin

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