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Evolution news

Bizarre-looking dinosaur challenges what we know about the evolution of fingers
Oviraptorosaurs are weird dinosaurs that look a bit like flightless birds. But these ancient animals aren't just funny-looking fossils. As my team's new research published in Royal Society Open Science shows, they can help ...
Evolution
36 minutes ago
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Study reveals that migrating roach fish have sharper eyesight
Roach fish that migrate between different lakes and water courses have larger pupils and better eyesight than roach that stay in one place. The adaptation makes it easier for the red-eyed freshwater migrants to find food ...
Evolution
3 hours ago
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E. coli evolutionary map could lead to precision medicine against antibiotic resistance
The first-of-its-kind in-depth bacterial evolutionary map could pave the way for the development of precision treatments for certain antibiotic-resistant infections, such as urinary tract infections.
Evolution
8 hours ago
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Genetic basis of camouflage in alpine Corydalis plants revealed
Camouflage is a common defensive strategy among animals. By modifying their coloration and patterning, animals evade predators or ambush prey. Notably, more than 40% of alpine plant species in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and ...
Evolution
Apr 2, 2025
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Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid, research reveals
More mammals were living on the ground several million years before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, new research led by the University of Bristol has revealed.
Evolution
Apr 1, 2025
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Giving up on photosynthesis: How a borrowed bacterial gene allows some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet
A group of diatom species belonging to the Nitzschia genus gave up on photosynthesis and now get their carbon straight from their environment, thanks to a bacterial gene picked up by an ancestor. Gregory Jedd of Temasek Life ...
Evolution
Apr 1, 2025
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Biomechanical 'size matching' explains floral isolation in bumblebee-pollinated elephant-nose flowers
Buzz pollination—a process in which bees extract pollen by vibrating flowers—occurs in more than 20,000 plant species. Among the most specialized examples are the wildflowers of the Pedicularis genus (Orobanchaceae), ...
Evolution
Mar 31, 2025
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Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans—but there are ways to slow down viral evolution
Disease forecasts are like weather forecasts: We cannot predict the finer details of a particular outbreak or a particular storm, but we can often identify when these threats are emerging and prepare accordingly.
Evolution
Mar 31, 2025
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Horses, donkeys and zebras have adaptations that break normal genomic rules
A genetic mutation in horses that would typically halt protein production has become a molecular asset. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Vanderbilt University have identified a rare instance of genetic recoding ...

New simulation of life on Earth reveals hidden diversity of undiscovered species
In a study published in Systematic Biology, researchers from Imperial College London, UCL, Dalhousie University and the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center described how their new simulation ...
Evolution
Mar 31, 2025
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Plesiosaur discovery sheds light on early Jurassic evolution and plausible endemism
A newly described plesiosaur fossil from southern Germany is providing crucial evidence about the diversification of these ancient marine reptiles during the Early Jurassic.
Evolution
Mar 31, 2025
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'She loves me, she loves me not': Physical forces encouraged evolution of multicellular life, scientists propose
Humans like to think that being multicellular (and bigger) is a definite advantage, even though 80% of life on Earth consists of single-celled organisms—some thriving in conditions lethal to any beast.
Evolution
Mar 31, 2025
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How climate and barriers shape global patterns in seed plant distribution over millions of years
Why do some plants thrive in specific regions but not in others? A study led by researchers at the University of Göttingen explores the factors shaping plant distributions and how these patterns have changed over millions ...
Evolution
Mar 28, 2025
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Cruciferous plants' pungent defense mechanism: How repurposed stomatal genes also fend off herbivores
Throughout evolution, plants have continuously adapted to survive in changing environments. Apart from complex structural changes, plants have also developed various defense strategies against herbivores, including tougher ...
Evolution
Mar 28, 2025
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Bird genome study offers insights into pandemic disease evolution
Evolution is nature's engine, driving and shaping genetic change and the diversity around us. Charles Darwin famously unveiled this process through his theory of natural selection, revealing how species adapt and evolve over ...
Evolution
Mar 28, 2025
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Scientists reveal evolutionary dynamics of centromeres in octoploid strawberries
The modern cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) originates from interspecific hybridization between two octoploid wild species: F. virginiana and F. chiloensis. However, the differences in centromere characteristics ...
Evolution
Mar 28, 2025
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Cartilage and bone development: Three paths to skeleton formation
In vertebrates, the skeleton of different regions of the body arises from different precursor cells. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that these skeletal cells do not just differ in their developmental ...
Evolution
Mar 27, 2025
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Wild marmots' social networks reveal controversial evolutionary theory in action
It probably feels obvious that having a close friend can influence your well-being. But do the groups that you're a part of also affect your well-being? For example, does the culture of your work colleagues influence your ...
Evolution
Mar 27, 2025
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Scientists uncover key mechanism in evolution: Whole-genome duplication drives long-term adaptation
Sometimes, the most significant scientific discoveries happen by accident. Scientists have long known that whole-genome duplication (WGD)—the process by which organisms copy all their genetic material—plays an important ...
Evolution
Mar 26, 2025
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Why humans have smaller faces than Neanderthals
The human face is strikingly distinct from our fossil cousins and ancestors—most notably, it is significantly smaller, and more gracile. However, the reasons behind this change remain largely unknown. A team of researchers ...
Evolution
Mar 26, 2025
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Other news

Chromatin remodeling captured in comprehensive structural study

Error correction method reduces photon requirements for quantum computing

Gorillas match chimpanzees in self-awareness study

Koalas in Queensland show unique immunity to deadly retrovirus

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Crystal melting and the glass transition obey the same physical law

Webb telescope captures photos of the asteroid that won't hit Earth in 2032
