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Evolution news
The whole story of human evolution, from ancient apes via Lucy to us, in one long read
In pursuit of knowledge, the evolution of humanity ranks with the origins of life and the universe. And yet, except when an exciting find hits the headlines, paleoanthropology and its related fields have gained far less scientific ...
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New tools filter noise from evolution data
While rates of evolution have appeared to accelerate over short time periods, new analysis suggests that statistical noise is affecting the data patterns. A professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and his colleague ...
Evolution
Nov 24, 2024
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Gene regulation study reports surprising results: Extensive regions of DNA belong to multiple gene switches
Some sequences in the genome cause genes to be switched on or off. Until now, each of these gene switches, or so-called enhancers, was thought to have its own place on the DNA. Different enhancers are therefore separated ...
Evolution
Nov 22, 2024
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'Genetic time machine' reveals complex chimpanzee cultures
In recent decades, scientists have clearly demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, pass on complex cultures such as tool use from generation to generation. But human culture has become vastly more sophisticated, from ...
Evolution
Nov 21, 2024
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Gene expression shifts help explain how a shrew changes brain size to match the seasons
New research shows how the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus) changes its brain and bodily size throughout the year. The study, published online in eLife, reveals how changes in gene expression enable these small mammals ...
Evolution
Nov 21, 2024
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Dinosaur drumsticks, X-ray videos and 3D models shed light on the evolution of bird motion
Wings may be the obvious choice when studying the connection between dinosaurs and birds, but a pair of Yale paleontologists prefer drumsticks. That part of the leg, they say, is where fibular reduction among some dinosaurs ...
Evolution
Nov 20, 2024
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Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops
More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along ...
Evolution
Nov 20, 2024
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Algorithm predicts DNA methylation in ancient specimens, providing insight into human evolution
Research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution. As DNA methylation ...
Evolution
Nov 20, 2024
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Ancient DNA sheds light on adaptation of early Europeans at the dawn of the agricultural revolution
Leveraging a unique statistical analysis and applying it to ancient DNA extracted from human skeletal remains, a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Los Angeles has ...
Evolution
Nov 19, 2024
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Human evolution in an AI world: Predicting changes in brain size, attention and social behaviors
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more common and sophisticated, its effects on human lives and societies raises new questions. A new paper published in The Quarterly Review of Biology posits how these new technologies ...
Evolution
Nov 19, 2024
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Blind cavefish study provides new insights into the evolution of neurons in vertebrate brains
Assumptions that may seem self-evident are not always accurate when it comes to the evolution of vertebrate brains. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have now demonstrated this by examining the largest neuron in the ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 19, 2024
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Seemingly 'broken' genes in coronaviruses may be essential for viral survival
Viruses are lean, mean, infection machines. Their genomes are tiny, limited to a handful of absolutely essential genes, and they shed extra genomic deadweight extremely fast... usually.
Evolution
Nov 19, 2024
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How humans evolved to be 'energetically unique'
Humans, it turns out, possess much higher metabolic rates than other mammals, including our close relatives, apes and chimpanzees, finds a Harvard study. Having both high resting and active metabolism, researchers say, enabled ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 19, 2024
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How brain evolution is linked to the use of tools
Researchers led by Dr. Alexandros Karakostis from the Institute for Archaeological Science and the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen suggest that changes in the brain ...
Evolution
Nov 19, 2024
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Study shows how social bonds help tool-using monkeys learn new skills
Anthropologists and psychologists have studied wild monkeys' problem-solving for food to better understand how social dynamics can influence behavior and learning. The research team, led by Durham University's Department ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 18, 2024
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Paper wasps study shows that body size is larger in habitats nearer the equator
A study of the correlation between environmental variables such as latitude and body size in paper wasps (genus Polistes) by a group of Brazilian researchers concludes that the nearer the habitat of a species to the equator, ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 18, 2024
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Human brain organelles study shows dopamine neurons must work a lot harder than those in primate relatives
A team of neurologists, bioengineers and radiologists has found that two neurons in the human brain that code for dopamine production have to work harder than similar cells in primate relatives. The group has posted a paper ...
New fossil reveals the evolution of flying reptiles
The pterosaurs are extinct flying reptiles that lived alongside their close relatives, the dinosaurs. The largest of these reached 10 m in wingspan, but early forms were generally limited to around 2 m. In a paper, a team ...
Evolution
Nov 18, 2024
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Tiny worm makes for big evolutionary discovery: Scientists describe 'Uncus,' the oldest ecdysozoan
Everyone has a past. That includes the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and nematode worms that make up a major animal group called the Ecdysozoa.
Evolution
Nov 18, 2024
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Study links relative brain volume to temperament in diverse dog breeds
Researchers from the University of Montpellier, the University of Zurich, Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, and other institutions have found that breed function and behavior correlate with relative endocranial volume (REV) ...
Other news
Long-term study reveals warming climates threaten Florida scrub-jay
Fuji apple study finds genetic mechanisms behind high-yield trees
Earth-bound asteroids 'could be tracked more precisely' with new equation
Hidden pocket in human bitter taste receptor discovered
More comprehensive search for sterile neutrinos comes up empty
Study finds ZnO nanorods achieve 98.3% Faraday efficiency in CO₂ reduction
Research on key host pathways has implications for Ebola and beyond
