Which population structures maximize evolutionary fitness?

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Plön have shown that population structures that enhance the effect of selection do not necessarily also lead to higher fitness. Instead, it is crucial for maximizing fitness that ...

Protein family shows how life adapted to oxygen

Cornell scientists have created an evolutionary model that connects organisms living in today's oxygen-rich atmosphere to a time, billions of years ago, when Earth's atmosphere had little oxygen—by analyzing ribonucleotide ...

New bacterial species discovered in the intestine

Whether plant, animal or human, living organisms are colonized by a multitude of bacteria. Research findings in recent years show that bacteria not only co-exist with their host, but form mutual interactions in the form of ...

Tiny sea creature's genes shed light on evolution of immunity

How a tiny marine invertebrate distinguishes its own cells from competitors' bears striking similarities to the human immune system, according to a new study led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers.

Young genes found to adapt faster than old ones

A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the University of Sussex in the UK shows that the age of a gene determines how fast they adapt. These findings demonstrate how gene evolution ...

The roots of biodiversity: How proteins differ across species

To better understand what drives biological diversity on Earth, scientists have historically looked at genetic differences between species. But this only provides part of the picture. The traits of a particular species are ...

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