DNA analysis reveals that Vikings weren’t just Scandinavian. Many Viking raiders had Southern European, Asian, and even some North African ancestry, showing how diverse these seafaring communities really were.

Researchers found 14 specific genes that help some people lose more weight from exercise. People with these “skinny genes” lost 11 pounds while others only lost 4 pounds doing the same workout.

If you can smell when someone’s eaten asparagus just by walking past a bathroom, congratulations. You have a superpower gene that only 40% of people carry.

The ACTN3 gene is called the “speed gene.” Having two copies of the variant gives you more fast-twitch muscle fibers, making you naturally better at sprinting and power sports.

Your DNA doesn’t stay the same your whole life. While the sequence is fixed, which genes turn on or off changes based on stress, diet, and lifestyle. This is called epigenetics.

Native Americans carry DNA from a “ghost population” that mixed with ancestors of East Asians before crossing into the Americas. This mystery group left no other trace in the modern world.

Scientists just discovered that removing the PHD2 gene from fat tissue makes mice burn 60% more calories, even when they’re not cold. The gene acts as an oxygen sensor in brown fat.

If you get goosebumps easily from music, you might have genetic variants that make you more emotionally reactive to sound. Your spine-tingling moments are literally in your DNA.

Your ALDH2 gene determines how you process alcohol. About 40% of East Asians have a variant that causes flushing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat after just one drink.

Having a family history of something doesn’t guarantee you’ll get it. Most traits need multiple genes plus environmental factors to actually show up in your life.

Ancient DNA shows that modern Europeans are a mix of at least three ancestral populations: early hunter-gatherers, Neolithic farmers from the Middle East, and Bronze Age herders from the steppes.

Scientists found that people with certain genetic variants in circadian rhythm genes have disrupted metabolism when their sleep schedules are off.

Some people can’t help but sneeze when they look at bright lights. It’s called the photic sneeze reflex and affects about 25% of people due to a genetic quirk.

The COMT gene controls how fast your brain clears dopamine. People with the “worrier” variant overthink but handle stress better. Those with the “warrior” variant stay calm under pressure but struggle with anxiety.

DNA from a 45,000-year-old man in Siberia shows that early humans mixed with Neanderthals multiple times, not just once as previously thought.

Researchers discovered a gene called DDX39B that causes a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. Patients across three countries all had mutations in this messenger RNA processing gene.

Most of your genome isn’t actually “junk.” That 98% non-coding DNA acts like switches and dimmers, controlling when and how much your genes get expressed.

If you hate the sound of people chewing, you might have a genetic variant that makes your brain process certain sounds as threatening. It’s called misophonia and it’s partially inherited.

Scientists discovered that Neanderthals also carried 2.5-3.7% modern human DNA from earlier interbreeding events. Gene flow went both ways, happening multiple times over 200,000 years between our species.

Source: Study published October 2024 by Columbia University and Northwestern researchers in Nature. First discovery of transcriptional adaptation being widespread in human genome. Could lead to new genetic engineering approaches.