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.
Genome size exhibits extensive variation across the life of a tree. Previous studies have predominantly focused on interspecific comparisons. However, the ecological drivers and adaptive implications of the variation, particularly ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 5, 2025
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The climate is warming increasingly quickly, especially in the Alps, which poses a challenge for organisms. If they do not spread to higher altitudes, they must very quickly adapt to higher temperatures in their current habitat, ...
Evolution
Nov 3, 2025
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A newly discovered protein from Earth's toughest animal is inspiring breakthrough therapies for cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 30, 2025
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Plants exchange adaptive information, helping them to adjust to environmental challenges. Salt stress in plants, caused by soil salinity, often results in water loss. Plants often cope with this situation by closing the stomatal ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 28, 2025
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Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a simple DNA "switch" that helps tropical butterflies adjust the size of their wing eyespots in response to seasonal temperatures, shedding light ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 24, 2025
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New research has revealed how more upright limb postures helped ancient reptiles overcome the biomechanical constraints of body size, paving the way for the evolution of larger sizes in archosaurs—a group that includes ...
Evolution
Oct 24, 2025
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Life-history variation is fundamental to the long-term persistence of populations and species because it ensures their ability to adapt to changing environments. Many important studies have focused on life-history variation ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 21, 2025
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Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have unearthed a universal thermal performance curve (UTPC) that seemingly applies to all species and dictates their responses to temperature change. This UTPC essentially shackles evolution ...
Evolution
Oct 20, 2025
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Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered how cells can adjust their gene activity to survive when oxygen runs low. The study, published in Nature Cell Biology, reveals that cells use a previously unknown mechanism ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 17, 2025
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Climate change is rapidly altering our environment—and posing major challenges for many animal species. Whether they can adapt depends largely on their genetic diversity. An international study involving researchers from ...
Evolution
Oct 17, 2025
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