Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [genetics]

The science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms.

73 questions
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Does inbreeding cause severe birth defects?

I've been doing some research on breeding rabbits and saw many people mentioning that if you inbreed rabbits (father-daughter/mother-son/sister-brother) that there is only a small chance of birth defects and a chance at an improved outcome if the…
going
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Are humans descended from chimp-pig hybrids?

Geneticist Dr. Eugene McCarthy claims that humans have descended from hybrids of pigs and chimpanzees: A 2013 Phys.Org article explained: he has amassed an impressive body of evidence suggesting that human origins can be best explained by…
Didami
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Do races/ethnicities have different odors?

This is a serious question and not intended to demean any ethnic group or racial group. I'm Caucasian and have dated Asian (Chinese), black and South Asian (Indian and Pakistani) men. I have noticed distinct body smells in all three groups and I…
zakdegrassi
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Is it possible to hatch dinosaurs from chicken eggs?

This article is one of many articles talking about re-enabling some dinosaur features in chicken. I don't know a lot about genetics or paleontology. Most articles I've found about the subject use some form of argument from authority: People have…
Barnaba
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Is Y-chromosomal Adam younger than Mitochondrial Eve?

A Christian claimed to me that: the Y-chromosomal Adam is way younger than the Mitochondrial Eve. Is this true? He argued that this was consistent with the biblical account: that Noah is Y-Chromosomal Adam and Eve is Mitochondrial Eve. Is this…
user4951
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How reliable is identification via DNA matching?

For example, how did they identify Osama bin Ladin? How can they identify with such confidence a DNA match? How can you compare DNA against a sister and determine that it is indeed Osama bin Ladin? The man could have been a relative, not a perfect…
mathaix
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Was Charles Darwin's family adversely affected by inbreeding?

I was reading the Wikipedia article on Inbreeding depression when I came across this: Charles Darwin, through numerous experiments, was one of the first scientists to demonstrate the effects of inbreeding depression. Darwin had married his…
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Are all white cats with blue eyes deaf?

I was told that all pure white cats with both eyes being blue are completely deaf, and that all pure white cats with one blue eye are deaf on the side that has the blue eye. If the cat has even a single spot on it it is not considered pure…
darryn.ten
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Can one be naturally better at computers than English or Maths?

I think everybody heard this claim, and its opposite, a million times. Students or teachers commonly speak about having talents for a particular subject or another. The subject is debated, for example, here: Does one have to be a genius to do…
Sklivvz
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Have scientists successfully cloned a dinosaur?

An article makes a claim that scientists have cloned a baby Apatosaurus. From Article: Scientists at Liverpool’s John Moore University have successfully cloned a dinosaur, a spokesman from the university said yesterday. The dinosaur, a baby…
David Hansen
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Is it possible for ingested dsRNA (or other genetic materials) to affect human gene expression?

I am usually pretty skeptical about claims on the danger of genetically modified crops because the issue of health for me logically breaks down to: Do the genes altered produce toxic chemicals in a dosage that would cause issues for human health?…
Nathan BeDell
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Could obligatory screening for Thalassemia in Cyprus violate the bioethical rules?

Stefan Beck, a visiting assistant professor at the University of California at Berkeley, claimed: “The obligatory screening and counseling for Thalassemia in Cyprus is one of the most successful public health programs – but it violates all existing…
Carlo Alterego
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Have scientists demonstrated an absent protein can cause chicks to be born with scales rather than feathers (as well as reptile scales to feathers)?

While researching and educating myself about evolution, I've come across an interesting claim that I'd like to learn more about, but so far, I've only been able to find the claim and no sources or evidence. For example consider following:…
Matt
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Can one's genetics account for x% of their weight?

I have seen statements like this in various places: "Such and such accounts for X percent of so and so". But it's not always clear what this means, how it is calculated or proven. You will see this a lot, in particular, on 23andme.com, in your…
Matt M.
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Is dandruff an indicator of an "unhealthy scalp?" Can a shampoo cure the underlying problem?

In this video (sponsored by Head and Shoulders) by Veritasium entitled "What Actually Causes Dandruff?", you can hear Dr. Jim Schwartz a Research Fellow at Head & Shoulders say: The dandruff flakes are just an indicator of a fundamentally unhealthy…
Evan Carroll
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