Evolution news
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Sparrow in a lead mine—birds adapt to life in contaminated areas
A new study of house sparrows' genes has found the first evidence of animals adapting to lead contamination in heavily polluted areas of Australia.
Pairing zebrafish by personality improves fitness of the species
Scientists have challenged the theory of "love at first sight" after discovering that they can boost the reproductive success of zebrafish by pairing them by personality, rather than appearance.
Octopuses given mood drug 'ecstasy' reveal genetic link to evolution of social behaviors in humans
By studying the genome of a kind of octopus not known for its friendliness toward its peers, then testing its behavioral reaction to a popular mood-altering drug called MDMA or "ecstasy," scientists say they have found preliminary ...
Review explores how birds can stay slim, even when they overeat
Noticing that songbirds, such as finches, never seem to get fat despite overeating at bird feeders, London environmental biologist Lewis Halsey wondered whether the amount of energy birds put into singing, fidgeting, or exercising ...
How dragonfly wings get their patterns
Harvard researchers have developed a computational model that can mimic, with only a few, simple parameters, the complex wing patterns of a large group of distantly-related insects, shedding light on how these patterns form.
Bioinformaticians examine new genes the moment they are born
Accumulating evidence suggests that new genes can arise spontaneously from previously non-coding DNA instead of through the gradual mutation of established genes. Bioinformaticians at the University of Münster (Germany) ...
A single gene mutation may have helped humans become optimal long-distance runners
Two to three million years ago, the functional loss of a single gene triggered a series of significant changes in what would eventually become the modern human species, altering everything from fertility rates to increasing ...
Can you evolve while being robust?
It was long thought that DNA, together with the genes encoded in it, determined genetic destiny. But equally important is coordinating when genes are turned on and off. In fact, the regulation of gene expression defines life ...
Evolutionary changes in the genetic code of yeasts
Yeasts are some of the most important microbes used in biotechnology. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the type of yeast used for making bread and beer, is just one representative of more than 1,500 yeast species found around the ...
