Last update:
Evolution news
Scientists find plausible geological setting that may have sparked life on Earth
Researchers have discovered a plausible evolutionary setting in which nucleic acids—the fundamental genetic building blocks of life—could enable their own replication, possibly leading to life on Earth.
Evolution
13 hours ago
0
89
New study sheds light on ancient protoribosome and its role in early life evolution
Scientists have uncovered new insights into the protoribosome, a molecular fossil within the ribosome, which plays a key role in the origin of life on Earth.
Evolution
19 hours ago
0
52
Protein study reveals how the tiny shrew achieves a resting heart rate of 1,020 beats per minute
The shrew's resting heart rate can reach up to 17 beats per second, equivalent to about 1,020 beats per minute. In comparison, the average human resting heart rate is around 60 to 100 beats per minute, making the shrew's ...
Evolution
Sep 30, 2024
0
79
The evolutionary history of rats has more holes than Swiss cheese, but researchers are trying to close them
Rats and humans have lived together for thousands of years. However, written historical records of rats migrating alongside people are sparse and some are entangled with myth and folklore.
Plants & Animals
Sep 30, 2024
0
1
New insights into sauropod evolution: Discovery of tail clubs in India
A new University of Michigan study of dinosaur fossils from India has revealed that the sauropod dinosaur Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis wielded a bony tail club.
Evolution
Sep 30, 2024
0
44
Plant lineage study provides insights into the ecological and evolutionary effects of different reproductive strategies
Hang Sun's group from Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences has demonstrated the ecological and evolutionary effects of changes in plant reproductive strategies on phylogenetic evolution. The study is published ...
Evolution
Sep 27, 2024
0
5
Seal species carries 'genetic scars' after being hunted to the edge of extinction, new research reveals
Northern Elephant seals have staged a remarkable comeback after narrowly escaping extinction by hunting, but new research reveals lasting genetic effects in the present population.
Evolution
Sep 27, 2024
0
220
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
0
14
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
0
11
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
0
97
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
0
26
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
0
121
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
0
129
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
0
32
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
0
1
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
0
2
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
0
5
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
0
31
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
0
45