evolved – Health

A close relative of SARS-CoV-2 found in bats offers more evidence it evolved naturally

There is ongoing debate among policymakers and the general public about where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, came from. While researchers consider bats the most likely natural hosts for SARS-CoV-2, the origins of the virus are still unclear. On May 10 in the journal Current Biology, researchers describe a recently identified bat coronavirus that… Read More »

Human knee evolved in lockstep with osteoarthritis, Harvard study says

The human knee is a triumph of design. The joint, which evolved fairly rapidly from our common ancestor with the chimpanzee to accommodate bipedalism, likely contributed to our success as a species. However, as the human lifespan extended, the flaw in the design emerged: pain, in the form of osteoarthritis. In a new paper published… Read More »