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Evolution news
Origin of life: How a special group of single-celled organisms laid the foundation for complex cells
Ten years ago, nobody knew that Asgard archaea even existed. In 2015, however, researchers examining deep-sea sediments discovered gene fragments that indicated a new and previously undiscovered form of microbes.
Evolution
7 hours ago
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Deadly bacteria have developed the ability to produce antimicrobials and wipe out competitors, scientists discover
A drug-resistant type of bacteria that has adapted to health care settings evolved in the past several years to weaponize an antimicrobial genetic tool, eliminating its cousins and replacing them as the dominant strain. University ...
Evolution
14 hours ago
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Cloaked in color: Research finds some female hummingbirds evolve male plumage to dodge aggression
Why do humans wear clothes? One reason is that changing outfits allows people to tailor their look in hopes of attracting or avoiding attention. New research led by the University of Washington found that hummingbirds may ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 20, 2025
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From dinosaurs to birds: The origins of feather formation
Feathers are among the most complex cutaneous appendages in the animal kingdom. While their evolutionary origin has been widely debated, paleontological discoveries and developmental biology studies suggest that feathers ...
Evolution
Mar 20, 2025
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They'd rather die: The lesson that male roundworms refuse to learn
In human society, men tend to be seen as risk-takers, while women are seen as being more cautious. According to evolutionary psychologists, this difference developed in the wake of threats to each sex and their respective ...
Evolution
Mar 20, 2025
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How an organelle evolves in symbiosis with a cell: Intermediate stage sheds light on the assimilation process
Organelles in cells were originally often independent cells, which were incorporated by host cells and lost their independence in the course of evolution. A team of biologists headed by Professor Dr. Eva Nowack at Heinrich ...
Evolution
Mar 19, 2025
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Chimpanzee genes have changed over time to suit local conditions: New study
Chimpanzees are humans' closest living relatives, sharing more than 98% of our DNA. They are endangered, with fewer than 250,000 left and an annual decline of between 1.5% and 6%. This is due to habitat destruction, hunting ...
Evolution
Mar 19, 2025
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The tendency of some flowers to be 'honest' and reward pollinators with nectar is partly genetic, study suggests
Flowers can produce showy displays that appeal to pollinating insects or animals, but some "cheat" by enticing pollinators but not rewarding them with nectar. Research in New Phytologist indicates that the tendency of flowers ...
Evolution
Mar 19, 2025
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Sperm breach blastocyst defenses in primates, providing new insights into reproductive competition
In a study of early embryonic development in primates, an international research team under the leadership of Berthold Huppertz and Thomas Kroneis from Med Uni Graz has shown for the first time that sperm can penetrate the ...
Evolution
Mar 18, 2025
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Scientists uncover principles underlying the toxicity of 'selfish' genes
Lurking within the genomes of nearly all species—including plants, fungi, and even humans—are genes that are passed from generation to generation with no clear benefit to the organism. Called "selfish" genes, they can ...
Evolution
Mar 18, 2025
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Genetic study reveals hidden chapter in human evolution
Modern humans descended from not one, but at least two ancestral populations that drifted apart and later reconnected, long before modern humans spread across the globe.
Evolution
Mar 18, 2025
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How big brains and flexible skulls led to the evolution of modern birds
Modern birds are the living relatives of dinosaurs. Take a look at the features of flightless birds like chickens and ostriches that walk upright on two hind legs, or predators like eagles and hawks with their sharp talons ...
Evolution
Mar 17, 2025
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Gorillas match chimpanzees in self-awareness study
Gorillas may have greater self-awareness than scientists previously thought. A new study finds that gorillas perform just as well as chimpanzees in tests that require awareness of their own bodies. A research team, led by ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2025
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Koalas in Queensland show unique immunity to deadly retrovirus
Koalas from a population north of the Brisbane River have evolved a unique genomic immunity to the killer retrovirus threatening their species.
Plants & Animals
Mar 14, 2025
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Genomic study indicates our capacity for language emerged 135,000 years ago
It is a deep question, from deep in our history: when did human language as we know it emerge? A new survey of genomic evidence suggests our unique language capacity was present at least 135,000 years ago. Subsequently, language ...
Evolution
Mar 14, 2025
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Snakes' secret language of ultraviolet color: A hidden world of predator evasion and camouflage
In the study of why and how animals look the way they do, color is king—at least, the range of color humans can see. A University of Michigan study has examined a color range that humans can't see and often ignore: color ...
Evolution
Mar 13, 2025
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DNA and 90 million-year-old pollen fossils reveal new insights into evolution of Asian tropics
In a new study published today in Science, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), together with global partners, combine results from two newly discovered prehistoric palm fossils with DNA from global ...
Evolution
Mar 13, 2025
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Predatory behavior is an inherited trait across multiple generations in nematodes
A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen has made significant strides in understanding the evolution of predatory behavior of nematodes, challenging established paradigms in evolutionary biology. ...
Evolution
Mar 13, 2025
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We modeled how early human ancestors ran—and found they were surprisingly slow
Imagine the scene, around 3 million years ago in what is now east Africa. By the side of a river, an injured antelope keels over and draws its last breath. The carcass is soon set on by hyenas, who tussle with a crocodile. ...
Evolution
Mar 13, 2025
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Scientists explain energy transfer mechanism in chloroplasts and its evolution
A recent study by Chinese scientists has revealed the intricate molecular machinery driving energy exchange within chloroplasts, shedding light on a key event in the evolution of plant life. Led by Fan Minrui from the Center ...
Evolution
Mar 12, 2025
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Other news
A NASA spacecraft will make another close pass of the sun
Decoding a green alga's ciliary layer: Study reveals high‐resolution structure
How bacteria 'vaccinate' themselves with genetic material from dormant viruses
High-pressure method can differentiate proton-coupled electron transfer mechanisms
Fish teeth show how ease of innovation enables rapid evolution
