12 Dramatic Stories We Have Thanks to DNA

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12 Dramatic Stories We Have Thanks to DNA

Ah, the mysteries of DNA. For centuries, we have been trying to unlock the secrets of our ancestors, and with each new discovery, we are able to uncover a little bit more about who we are and where we come from. 

From Cheddar Man and his dark skin, blue eyes, and dark hair, to the Golden State Killer identified using DNA search technology, to a couple who found out after 38 years of marriage that they were third cousins, to the discovery of a mistake in the royal family tree, to the finding that 10 men other than Genghis Khan had descendants still around today, to the study that suggests Adolf Hitler may have had Jewish and African ancestors, to the discovery that Neanderthal DNA helped our ancestors be more resistant to illnesses, the power of DNA has been revealed in many fascinating ways. In this list, we explore ten of the most incredible DNA stories that have captured the attention of the world. So, without further ado, let's dive in and explore the wonders of DNA.

Neanderthals: causing allergies?

CRACKED DISCOVERING OUR ALLERGIES MIGHT COME FROM NEANDERTHALS Two 2015 studies showed that some people are more likely to have hay fever and other allergies due to genes they inherited from Neanderthals. This suggests that Neanderthal DNA helped our ancestors to be more resistant to illnesses.

NPR 

Hitler: Not so Aryan after all.

CRACKED CASTING DOUBT ON ADOLF HITLER'S ARYAN ANCESTRY Belgian researchers did a DNA study that suggests Adolf Hitler may have had Jewish and African ancestors, even though he was responsible for killing two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population during his Nazi regime.

History / BBC 

Playing God, with chickens.

CRACKED REVERSING EVOLUTION TO TURN CHICKENS INTO DINOSAURS In 2015, scientists from Harvard and Yale changed the genetic makeup of a chicken embryo so that it had a snout like a dinosaur. They did this to learn more about how the beak of modern birds evolved. Uh... nothing bad could happen from that, sure.

KQED / Engadget 

Gene-editing gone... wrong? Right? Can we tell?

CRACKED MAKING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED HUMANS, GATTACA-STYLE In November 2018, the world was shocked when Chinese scientist Не Jiankui announced that he had used a gene-editing technique called CRISPR to alter the genes of two embryos, and the babies were born alive.

Academic / Amazon 

DNA search: 1, Criminals: 0.

CRACKED IDENTIFYING THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER In April 2018, cops used DNA search tech to identify the Golden State Killer. They took an anonymous DNA sample and combined it with information like age and location to narrow down the suspect's identity to fewer than 20 people out of 850.

Science 

Surprise! He's related.

CRACKED FINDING A STONE AGE HUNTER/GATHERER'S RELATIVES In 1903, they found the oldest complete skeleton in Britain - Cheddar Man. Recently, they studied his genome and found out he had dark brown or black skin, blue eyes, and dark hair - - and living relatives in Cheddar village, thanks to DNA analysis.

BBC / NHM 

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