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Evolution news
Sequencing one of the world's oldest trees to learn how mutations occur in clonally reproducing organisms
A team of biologists, environmental scientists and geneticists affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has learned more about how mutations occur in clonally reproducing organisms by sequencing one of the oldest ...
Not too big, not too small: Why modern humans are the ideal size for speed
The fastest animal on land is the cheetah, capable of reaching top speeds of 104 kilometers per hour. In the water, the fastest animals are yellowfin tuna and wahoo, which can reach speeds of 75 and 77 km per hour respectively. ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 2, 2024
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New insights into mango evolution: Study reveals extensive hybridization within the Mangifera genus
A research team investigated whole chloroplast genomes and nuclear gene sequences from 14 species, uncovering new insights into the genetic diversity and hybrid origins of mango species. They used the evolutionary relationships ...
Evolution
Nov 1, 2024
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A comparison of bat and bird wings reveals their evolutionary paths are vastly different
Bats are incredibly diverse animals: They can climb onto other animals to drink their blood, pluck insects from leaves or hover to drink nectar from tropical flowers, all of which require distinctive wing designs.
Plants & Animals
Nov 1, 2024
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'Wing spreading' adaptation in fruit flies offers insights into female courtship behavior
In the game of evolution, key behavioral adaptations that confer fitness in survival and reproduction, paying tremendous dividends for an individual's progeny, may seemingly arise from thin air—so much so, even familiar ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 1, 2024
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Researchers seek understanding of early life on earth following Chilean expedition
In a discovery that may further our understanding of the early evolution of life on Earth, a research team, including associate professor Andrew Palmer and master's student Caitlyn Hubric, identified Chile's deepest and most ...
Evolution
Oct 31, 2024
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Research reveals delayed evolutionary origin of Asteriidae sea stars
A study published in PeerJ has reshaped our understanding of the evolutionary history of sea stars, particularly the family Asteriidae. The study, titled "Phylogenetic and taxonomic revisions of Jurassic sea stars support ...
Evolution
Oct 31, 2024
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Prolonged brain development of marmosets could serve as model for human evolution
The development of primate brains is shaped by various inputs. However, these inputs differ between independent breeders, such as great apes, and cooperative breeders, such as the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) and ...
Evolution
Oct 30, 2024
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Sinuses prevented prehistoric crocodile relatives from deep diving, paleobiologists suggest
An international team of paleobiologists have found that the sinuses of ocean-dwelling relatives of modern-day crocodiles prevented them from evolving into deep divers like whales and dolphins.
Evolution
Oct 29, 2024
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Dingoes are not mating with dogs—but that could soon change if culling continues
The dingo was completely isolated from other canines on the Australian mainland for more than 5,000 years, until domestic dogs arrived on the scene. Subsequent concerns about livestock loss formed the basis of Australia's ...
Evolution
Oct 28, 2024
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Study reveals Cat Ba langurs' unique ability to drink salt water
A study by the German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen and Leipzig Zoo shows the remarkable adaptability of the critically endangered Cat Ba langurs. Despite low genetic diversity, the ...
Evolution
Oct 28, 2024
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Ancient cicada wings evolved to deal with evolutionary changes in birds, study suggests
A team of paleobiologists and zoologists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Linyi University and Wageningen University has found evidence that the evolution of insect-eating birds likely drove relatively swift changes to ...
Thin skin significantly blunts injury from puncture, study finds
Thin, stretchy skin—like that of a pig or human—significantly lessens the underlying damage that occurs when it's punctured. Pig skin even outperforms synthetic materials that are designed to mimic skin, a new study finds. ...
Evolution
Oct 28, 2024
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How evolutionary trade-offs shape sperm length in tetrapods
An international research team has developed an innovative method to study the evolution of sperm length in tetrapods. Using the Pareto principle, scientists from Germany and Italy analyzed the complex relationships between ...
Evolution
Oct 28, 2024
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Where did kissing come from? Study introduces the 'groomer's final kiss hypothesis'
A team at the University of Warwick is suggesting that human kissing evolved from grooming behaviors observed in ancestral great apes. In a study, "The Evolutionary Origin of Human Kissing," published in Evolutionary Anthropology, ...
Study reveals the twists and turns of mammal evolution from a sprawling to upright posture
Mammals, including humans, stand out with their distinctively upright posture, a key trait that fueled their spectacular evolutionary success. Yet, the earliest known ancestors of modern mammals more resembled reptiles, with ...
Evolution
Oct 25, 2024
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Move along moose: Study reveals the 'most Canadian' animals
What is the "most Canadian" animal? Spoiler: it's not the beaver, or the moose. Published in the journal The Canadian Field-Naturalist, the study from a team of Simon Fraser University researchers ranks, for the first time ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 25, 2024
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Hourglass model of complex multicellularity found in brown algae
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, Germany, have discovered a conserved developmental pattern known as the hourglass model in brown algae, providing more evidence that the phenomenon may be a universal feature ...
Stoneflies have changed color as a result of human actions, new study shows
New Zealand's native stoneflies have changed color in response to human-driven environmental changes, new research shows. Just published in the journal Science, the University of Otago study provides arguably the world's ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 24, 2024
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Bird study finds sons help their parents less than daughters because they're scouting future prospects
Male birds help their parents less than females because they're too busy scouting for new places to live and breed, a remarkable new study shows.
Evolution
Oct 24, 2024
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More news
Study shows birth is a tight squeeze for chimpanzees, too
Study reveals light-responsive gut mechanism in sea urchins
Turtle genome provides new clues on the evolution of vertebrates
Butterfly brains reveal the tweaks required for cognitive innovation
Genome sequencing could unlock answers to yellow jacket behavior
Other news
Did the world's best-preserved dinosaurs really die in 'Pompeii-type' events?
A physicist and his cat 'reveal' the equation of cat motion
Scientists decipher two-photon vision
Not the usual suspects: Research reveals novel genetic basis of pest resistance to biotech crops
