The New York Times quotes Omer Gokcumen in a story about two new studies that found that ancient human ancestors carried a surprising diversity of genes for amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch.

Studies reveal ancient humans adapted by increasing amylase genes during two major periods: the advent of cooking several ...

“The idea is that the more amylase genes you have, the more amylase you can produce and the more starch you can digest effectively,” says the study's corresponding author, Omer Gokcumen, PhD, ...

Two new studies found that ancient human ancestors carried a surprising diversity of genes for amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch. By Carl Zimmer As soon as you put starch in your mouth ...

New evidence shows how we evolved to crave and digest carbohydrates and how this helped spur today’s carbohydrate consumption ...

"The idea is that the more amylase genes you have, the more amylase you can produce and the more starch you can digest effectively,” said the study's corresponding author, Omer Gokcumen ...

Digesting starch — a type of carbohydrate — is a crucial part of how we derive energy from food. New research published Thursday in the journal Science suggests the amylase gene has a much ...

Study author Dr Omer Gokcumen, from New York’s University of Buffalo, said: “The more amylase genes you have, the more starch you can digest. "This allowed humans to adapt to shifting diets as ...

Humans carry multiple copies of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1), which helps begin breaking down starch in the mouth -- the first step in digesting carb-laden foods like bread and pasta, researchers ...

Amylase is a digestive enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose that the body can use for fuel. It’s produced in the pancreas and salivary glands and also gives bread its taste.