Evolutionary 'arms race' may help keep cell division honest

Eggs and sperm are special cells for many reasons, but one of the characteristics that sets them apart is that unlike other human cells, which have two copies of 23 chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father, ...

New insights into evolution: Why genes appear to move around

Scientists at Uppsala University have proposed an addition to the theory of evolution that can explain how and why genes move on chromosomes. The hypothesis, called the SNAP Hypothesis, is presented in the scientific journal ...

Dark centers of chromosomes reveal ancient DNA

Geneticists exploring the dark heart of the human genome have discovered big chunks of Neanderthal and other ancient DNA. The results open new ways to study both how chromosomes behave during cell division and how they have ...

Researchers gain insight into chromosome evolution in flies

NC State University researchers have shed new light on the evolution of fly chromosomes by identifying a gene indispensable for male survival in a devastating livestock pest species. What they found could have important implications ...

Knowledge gap on the origin of sex

There are significant gaps in our knowledge on the evolution of sex, according to a research review on sex chromosomes from Lund University in Sweden. Even after more than a century of study, researchers do not know enough ...

Compelling evidence that brain parts evolve independently

An evolutionary biologist at the University of Manchester, working with scientists in the US, has found compelling evidence that parts of the brain can evolve independently from each other. It's hoped the findings will significantly ...

Scientists peek at the early evolution of sex chromosomes

Two new studies offer insight into sex chromosome evolution by focusing on papaya, a multimillion dollar crop plant with a sexual problem (as far as growers are concerned) and a complicated past. The findings are described ...

Chromosomal 'breakpoints' linked to canine cancer

North Carolina State University researchers have uncovered evidence that evolutionary "breakpoints" on canine chromosomes are also associated with canine cancer. Mapping these "fragile" regions in dogs may also have implications ...

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