The evolutionary fates of supergenes unmasked
While the term "supergene" may bring to mind the genetic hocus-pocus of Peter Parker's transformation into Spiderman, supergenes are actually fairly common phenomena in the realm of biology. A supergene refers to a genomic region containing multiple.....»»
In a first, evolutionary biologists have identified a gene that influences visual preferences in tropical butterflies
Tropical Heliconius butterflies are well known for the bright color patterns on their wings. These striking color patterns not only scare off predators—the butterflies are poisonous and are distasteful to birds—but are also important signals duri.....»»
Biologists use machine learning to classify fossils of extinct pollen
In the quest to decipher the evolutionary relationships of extinct organisms from fossils, researchers often face challenges in discerning key features from weathered fossils, or with prioritizing characteristics of organisms for the most accurate pl.....»»
Genetic basis for the evolution of hair discovered in the clawed frog
The development of hair was of central importance for the evolution of mammals and, thus, also of humans. However, the evolutionary origin of the genetic program of hair was previously unknown. An international research team led by Leopold Eckhart fr.....»»
Whale menopause sheds light on human evolutionary mystery
Why do humans experience menopause? It's a question that some women going through the symptoms might have asked themselves more than once......»»
Can genetic parasites alter interactions between microbes and hosts?
Researchers from the Max Planck Institutes (MPI) for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and for Biology in Tübingen have made significant progress in understanding the evolution of interactions between plants and microbes. The study focuses on Pseudomona.....»»
New study reveals the evolutionary nature of animal friendships
Biologists from Stockholm University and University of Neuchâtel present groundbreaking research shedding new light on the evolution of social bonds and cooperation among group-living animals. The study was published in the journal PNAS......»»
New study finds the malaria parasite generates genetic diversity using an evolutionary "copy-paste" tactic
By dissecting the genetic diversity of the most deadly human malaria parasite—Plasmodium falciparum—researchers at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have identified a mechanism of 'copy-paste' genetics that increases the genetic.....»»
What makes a pathogen antibiotic-resistant?
Antimicrobial resistance is a story of constantly moving parts and players. With every new or tweaked antibiotic or antimicrobial drug, the targeted pathogens begin the evolutionary dance of acquiring resistance, prompting researchers to constantly d.....»»
Genetic research reveals several new fern species in tropical America
Researchers have clarified the evolutionary history of a previously poorly known group of ferns from the tropical rainforests of America using DNA methods. The study discovered many new fern species, 18 of which have now been given official names and.....»»
The Future of Mobile App Development and Why Flutter is Leading the Way
Mobile application development has experienced a radical pathway, traversing an evolutionary course that calibrates with the pacing of technological advancements and the changing perception of users. The evolution from the simple utilities of the yes.....»»
Research team reveals cellular and molecular basis of spur development in Impatiens uliginosa
As an important reproductive organ of angiosperms, flowers have a clear purpose and adaptive significance in their various characteristics. As a typical floral evolutionary feature, the floral spur is a tubular structure extending from the petal, whi.....»»
Bottlenecks and beehives: How an invasive bee colony defied genetic expectations
For more than a decade, invasive Asian honeybees have defied evolutionary expectations and established a thriving population in North Queensland, much to the annoyance of the honey industry and biosecurity officials......»»
Extreme environments are coded into the genomes of the organisms that live there, research suggests
An organism's genome is a set of DNA instructions needed for its development, function and reproduction. The genome of a present-day organism contains information from its journey on an evolutionary path that starts with the "first universal common a.....»»
Killer instinct drove evolution of mammals" predatory ancestors, scientists suggest
The evolutionary success of the first large predators on land was driven by their need to improve as killers, researchers at the University of Bristol and the Open University suggest......»»
Snakes do it faster, better: How a group of scaly, legless lizards hit the evolutionary jackpot
More than 100 million years ago, the ancestors of the first snakes were small lizards that lived alongside other small, nondescript lizards in the shadow of the dinosaurs......»»
An evolutionarily conserved pathway that achieves a peaceful co-existence with genomic parasites
Transposable elements are mobile genetic elements that can relocate within the genome and disrupt the normal function of genes, but are at the same time a source of evolutionary diversity. The lab of Tugce Aktas at the Max Planck Institute for Molecu.....»»
How great fossil sites shape our understanding of evolutionary relationships between fossil groups
A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE explores the weight great fossil sites have on our understanding of evolutionary relationships between fossil groups—the lagerstätten effect—and for the first time, has quantified the power these sit.....»»
Imperfect mimicry in spiders and insects mainly shaped by adaptive processes rather than constraints, finds study
Two natural scientists at Macquarie University, working with an evolutionary specialist at the University of New South Wales, all in Australia, have found that imperfect mimicry in spiders and insects is likely mainly shaped by adaptive processes rat.....»»
New study suggests birds began diversifying long before dinosaurs went extinct
A multi-institutional, international team of evolutionary biologists, genetics specialists and phylogenomicists has found evidence that bird species began diversifying long before the dinosaurs went extinct......»»
Fossilized frog with belly full of eggs unearthed in China is oldest of its kind
An international team of Earth scientists, evolutionary biologists and paleontologists has unearthed an ancient frog with a belly full of eggs, the oldest known find of its kind. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the gro.....»»