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Evolution news
Closely related plants shows species use different methods to adapt to extreme environments, study shows
Scientists have found that different populations of a plant species, which is closely related to many crops of worldwide importance, use very different strategies to adapt to environmental changes, which gives experts new ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 26, 2024
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Sea robins use leg-like fins to taste and navigate seafloor, researchers discover
Sea robins are ocean fish particularly suited to their bottom-dwelling lifestyle. Six leg-like appendages make them so adept at scurrying, digging, and finding prey that other fish tend to hang out with them and pilfer their ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 26, 2024
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Bird study shows that grounded running styles conserve energy
A small team of biologists and animal movement specialists in the Netherlands and the U.K. has found that birds such as the emu have a grounded running style at medium speeds, allowing them to conserve energy compared to ...
Cretaceous fireflies reveal early evolution of insect bioluminescence
Bioluminescence, the ability of living organisms to emit light, is a fascinating phenomenon observed in various life forms, including deep-sea fish, glowing mushrooms, and fireflies. Fireflies have long captivated people ...
Evolution
Sep 26, 2024
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New fossil species reshapes understanding of grape family history
Until now, it was believed that plants of the grape family arrived at the European continent less than 23 million years ago. A study on fossil plants draws a new scenario on the dispersal of the ancestors of grape plants ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 25, 2024
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Bronze age Lactobacillus genomes reveal origins of kefir cheese
For the first time, scientists successfully extracted and analyzed DNA from ancient cheese samples found alongside the Tarim Basin mummies in China, dating back approximately 3,600 years. The research, published September ...
Evolution
Sep 25, 2024
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Brazilian fossils reveal early evolution of mammalian jaw and middle ear
Newly discovered fossils, belonging to the mammal-precursor species Brasilodon quadrangularis and Riograndia guaibensis, offer critical insights into the development of the mammalian jaw and middle ear, revealing evolutionary ...
Evolution
Sep 25, 2024
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73
New evolutionary model revises the origins of biodiversity
An international team of scientists has made a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how global biodiversity evolved. By reconstructing the evolution of species over the past 45 million years, researchers found ...
Evolution
Sep 25, 2024
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Naked mole-rat found to have lost infection-resistant proteins
Scientists have found that the naked mole-rat—an underground rodent that lives up to 40 years—has lost a number of CD1 functional genes. The CD1 gene family in mammals is responsible for protein synthesis that protects ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 25, 2024
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Ancient DNA helps uncover the Iberian lynx's potential secret weapon against extinction
Many large mammals have lost genetic diversity, often thanks to the actions of people shrinking their populations. The implications can be severe because without genetic diversity, a population does not have a "genetic database" ...
Evolution
Sep 24, 2024
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Unveiling ancient life: New method sheds light on early cellular and metabolic evolution
Fossils don't always come in large, dinosaur-sized packages. Microfossils refer to a type of fossil that is so small, it can only be perceived with a microscope. These microfossils can help us understand when and how early ...
Evolution
Sep 24, 2024
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3D field-based tracking and field experiments of octopus and fish unlock the secrets of multispecies hunting
The diving gear is on, the cameras are ready—biologist Eduardo Sampaio and his colleagues are set to go. They dive in the Red Sea, scanning left and right underwater—and wonder: Where can an octopus hunting be found? ...
Evolution
Sep 23, 2024
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How diversity in heat tolerance can help protect coral reefs
New research out of Southern Cross University has found previously undocumented variation in coral heat tolerance on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, giving hope that corals' own genetic resources may hold the key for us to ...
Evolution
Sep 23, 2024
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Extreme polar light environment of the North and South Poles sustains biodiversity, researchers suggest
Researchers working in Finland propose that the unique light environment of the Earth's polar regions creates conditions that result in circumpolar hybrid zones around the North and the South Poles. These extreme conditions ...
Evolution
Sep 23, 2024
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Researchers discover tumors inherited by generations of jellyfish-like creatures
Researchers from the CANECEV laboratory, an international collaboration between Deakin University and the University of Montpellier, have observed for the first time the birth of transmissible tumors in freshwater brown hydras—tiny, ...
Evolution
Sep 23, 2024
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Evolved in the lab, found in nature: Uncovering hidden pH sensing abilities in microbial cultures
In a study led by Sarah Worthan, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Behringer Lab at Vanderbilt University, scientists have successfully evolved microbial cultures that possess the ability to sense pH changes, enabling ...
Evolution
Sep 20, 2024
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New database covers distribution and evolutionary history of megadiverse flowering plant family on isolated islands
Asteraceae, a family of flowering plants, are the most diverse group of flowering plants in the world. This plant family comprises about 34,000 species. An international research team with the participation of the University ...
Evolution
Sep 20, 2024
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Independent origins of frog glue and its role in predator evasion
Skin-secreted adhesives, or glues, are highly effective defense adaptations that have evolved recurrently in a small number of amphibians. From an ecological standpoint, this rapidly solidifying material—essentially, a ...
Convergent evolution study sheds light on how new genes arise
Where do new genes come from? That's the question a team of biological sciences researchers from the U of A set out to answer in a new study.
Evolution
Sep 19, 2024
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Love island: Bird's refusal to leave resort life leads to genetic change
A little yellow-and-white bird that prefers to date its mates in an idyllic island lifestyle rather than fly to the mainland to mingle is an example of avian species evolution in action, according to new Australian research.
Evolution
Sep 19, 2024
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More news
New mechanism uncovered for the reduction of emu wings
Apes understand reasons behind each other's actions, research finds
An evolutionary battleground: Plants vs. microbes
Other news
Marine debris removal benefits Hawaiian monk seals and ecosystems
How large language models are changing collective intelligence
New food safety rules may cost small and mid-sized businesses big money
Scientists uncover structural secrets of antiepileptic drugs
Earth to capture a 'second moon' this weekend, NASA says
Affordable iron catalysts offer a sustainable route to prized Z-alkenes
Sloth survival under threat due to climate change, study finds
Study uncovers first evidence of a volcanic spatter cone on Mars
Shedding light on a decades-old protein sorting mystery
