Biological adaptation is the evolutionary process through which heritable traits that enhance an organism’s fitness become more prevalent in a population over generations under specific environmental conditions. It operates primarily via natural selection acting on genetic variation, including mutations, recombination, and gene flow, and is constrained by developmental, genetic, and phylogenetic factors. Adaptations can be morphological, physiological, or behavioral and are typically characterized by increased survival or reproductive success in a given niche. The process is dynamic and context-dependent, such that traits advantageous in one environment may be neutral or deleterious in another, contributing to diversification and speciation.
Plant phototropism—directional growth in response to light—serves as a key adaptive mechanism, optimizing photosynthesis and development. Central to this process is phototropin 1 (phot1), a primary blue light photoreceptor ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 11, 2025
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A new genomic study reveals how human populations adapted, survived, and diversified in the Himalayas, one of the most extreme and challenging environments on Earth.
Evolution
Jul 10, 2025
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Animals often evolve to have certain characteristics that help them escape predators more effectively. Some of these characteristics work to deflect predators away from the animal's head. Many butterfly species have evolved ...
Imagine the magnificent glaciers of Greenland, the eternal snow of the Tibetan high mountains, and the permanently ice-cold groundwater in Finland. As cold and beautiful as these are, for the structural biologist Kirill Kovalev, ...
Biotechnology
Jul 4, 2025
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Animal communication takes many forms.
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2025
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As jewelflowers spread into California from the desert Southwest over the past couple of million years, they settled in places that felt like home, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis. The work, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 1, 2025
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A recent study published in Current Biology has found that animals living at elevations of 1,000 meters and higher have a reduction in genes related to smell and a smaller olfactory bulb than similar low-altitude species.
In general, evolution is a long, slow process of tiny changes passed down over generations, resulting in new adaptations and even new species over thousands or millions of years. But when living things are faced with dramatic ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 26, 2025
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Scientists at the University of Western Australia and the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science have made a breakthrough in understanding how cells in our body respond to physical activity and exercise.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 26, 2025
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Livelihood diversity wasn't just a feature of ancient African societies; it was key to survival. New research covering millennia of African history reveals that livelihood diversification enabled ancient societies across ...
Environment
Jun 26, 2025
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