human evolution

Bulb-like axon terminals of cone photoreceptors in the marmoset’s foveal retina. The blue pedicle, a short wavelength sensitive neuron, gives rise to complex circuitry that starts a neural code for color perception.
April 28, 2023

Do people and monkeys see colors the same way?

Study shows some nerve cell circuits for color vision are uniquely human.

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Mitchell Vollger and Glennis Logsdon of the Eichler Lab at UW Medicine
March 31, 2022

Historic first: Complete human genome sequenced

Genome scientists within UW Medicine were major contributors to the sequencing of the first complete human genome.

Evan Eichler, Mitchell Vollger and Glennis Logsdon in genome sciences lab
March 31, 2022

Some elusive genome areas hold distinctly human data

UW Medicine’s contribution to finishing the sequence covered highly repetitive regions, include those related to human evolution.

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Bonobo Mhudiblu with her daughter Akeema at Wuppertal Zoo in Germany
May 5, 2021

New bonobo genome fine tunes great ape evolution studies

A newly generated bonobo genome assembly pinpoints specific variants that distinguish chimpanzee and bonobo lineages.

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Glennis Logsdon shown sequencing human genomic DNA on the Oxford Nanopore GridION
April 9, 2021

Chromosome 8 assembly reveals novel genes, disease risks

This full assembly may contain clues to ape and human divergence; certain immune, brain and heart disorders; and other questions.

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Kelley Harris Genome Sciences UW
February 21, 2019

Genome scientist Kelley Harris named Sloan Fellow

She explores recent evolutionary history of humans and subtle genetic differences among closely related populations. 

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November 10, 2016

Neanderthal genes helped humans adapt outside of Africa

Media contact:  Leila Gray, 206.685.0381, leilag@uw.edu

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March 17, 2016

Denisovan DNA excavated in modern Pacific Islanders

The archaic Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA that persists in modern individuals from the Pacific islands of Melanesia could be a source of new information about early human history, according to a report published this Thursday, March 17, in the E

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February 11, 2016

Neanderthal DNA influences human disease risk

Neanderthal DNA present in the human genome can affect certain health-related traits in people of European ancestry, according to a paper in this week’s Science.

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October 15, 2015

Search underway for uniquely human genes

Why is it so difficult to locate and study the parts of the human genome that make humans distinct from other animals?  In looking a this question, The Altantic spoke with Evan Eichler, professor of genome sciences, and a Ph.D.

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