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.
For her doctoral dissertation, Yale's Nathalie Alomar decided to study a small amphibian that appeared to have eluded the forces of evolution. She found that there is more to its evolution than meets the eye.
Plants & Animals
Jun 23, 2026
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White barn owls are effective killing machines. They fly silently through the night air and swoop down on unsuspecting prey with their sharp talons. But they have something you would think goes against being a stealth predator: ...
Extreme weather is becoming the new normal, disrupting human communities across the globe.
Plants & Animals
Jun 22, 2026
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Habits are often seen as automatic and inflexible behaviors. But a new study, published in Evolution Letters, suggests that habits may have evolved as a way for animals to handle several tasks at once. By shifting to habitual ...
Evolution
Jun 22, 2026
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Microorganisms from our planet could survive on celestial bodies where water is present, such as Mars. That is the conclusion of Ph.D. candidate Tommaso Zaccaria after experiments with simulated space conditions. Our immune ...
Astrobiology
Jun 21, 2026
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Bumblebees see the world differently under stress, processing visual information more sharply and making quicker decisions, new research from Newcastle University reveals.
Plants & Animals
Jun 21, 2026
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A study published by Food Research International analyzed the triple effect of climate change on soybean quality—increased carbon dioxide (CO₂), high temperatures and drought. Using predictive modeling powered by artificial ...
Agriculture
Jun 20, 2026
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Like humans, wildlife is increasingly vulnerable as climate change fuels longer and more intense heat waves, disrupting feeding and breeding and, in extreme cases, proving fatal.
Environment
Jun 19, 2026
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New research suggests the microbiome near the surface of a plant's roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome, may play a role in helping crops respond to heat stress.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 19, 2026
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Heat stress on dairy cows affects more than just the quantity of milk produced—warming temperatures also reduce the fat and protein content of the milk, new research finds.
Agriculture
Jun 18, 2026
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