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Explore genomics  

Living things

All living things have their own genome. Discover more about these different genomes and what we can learn from them.

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Computed tomography of human brain

Are humans still evolving?

For much of nature, natural selection and ‘survival of the fittest’ still play a dominant role; only the strongest can survive in the wild. As little as a few hundred years ago, the same was true for humans.

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4 students wearing labcoats looking excited during science experiment.

Barcoding for beginners

Information and resources for educators and students participating in the Barcoding for beginners project

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Image of human evolution

Evolution of modern humans

The origin of modern humans is probably one of the most debated issues in evolutionary biology.

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From left to right with average brain weight: Human (1350g), Chimpanzee (400g), Orangutan (400g) and Macaque (100g).

Evolution of the human brain

The human brain is staggeringly complex and the product of millions of years of evolution.

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Bioinformatician typing on laptop

Our Animal DNA

Use bioinformatic tools to compare different genes across the tree of life.

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picture of multiple mushrooms

What is a GMO?

‘GMO’ stands for ‘genetically modified organism’ – an organism that has had their characteristics changed through the modification of their DNA. 

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image of fossils

What is evolution?

In biology, evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection.

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Golden Rice grain compared to white rice grain in screenhouse of Golden Rice plants.

What is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering refers to the direct manipulation of DNA to alter an organism’s characteristics in a particular way.

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image of a monotreme

What is phylogenetics?

Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary relationships between organisms, based on their genetic material revealed through DNA and RNA sequencing. 

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Humans have selectively bred apples to create lots of different varieties.

What is selective breeding?

Selective breeding involves selecting individuals of a species that have characteristics of interest in the hope that their offspring inherit those desirable characteristics.

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