A study of woodland star wildflowers in the western United States has found remarkable diversity in the scent compounds produced by their flowers. Every species of woodland star, and even different populations within a species, ...
Ecology
Feb 11, 2019
0
31
Differences in the geographic origin of genes may affect the function of human mitochondria—energy-generating organelles inside of cells—according to a new study. Mitochondria have their own genome, separate from the ...
Ecology
Jan 14, 2019
0
83
In 2003, the Human Genome Project revealed to the world the three billion chemical units within human DNA. Since that time, scientists have designed many ways to organize and assess this overwhelmingly large amount of information. ...
Evolution
Dec 18, 2018
0
180
The passenger pigeon is famous for the enormity of its historical population in North America (estimated at 3 to 5 billion) and for its rapid extinction in the face of mass slaughter by humans. Yet it remains a mystery why ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 16, 2017
2
124
Hollywood films and science fiction literature fuel the belief that aliens are other-worldly, monster-like beings, who are very different to humans. But new research suggests that we could have more in common with our extra-terrestrial ...
Astronomy
Nov 1, 2017
37
2036
Aging is a natural part of life, but that hasn't stopped people from embarking on efforts to stop the process.
Evolution
Oct 30, 2017
82
4820
In research published in Science, a Stanford-led international team used a new analytic technique to map recent evolution. The technique relies exclusively on the DNA sequences of modern humans, yet it can reveal rapid ...
Evolution
Oct 14, 2016
13
714
The introduction of agriculture into Europe about 8,500 years ago changed the way people lived right down to their DNA.
Biotechnology
Nov 23, 2015
0
1052
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers made up of one biologist and four mathematicians has found an example of natural selection providing an organism with optimal behavior. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National ...
Sexual selection refers to species' selection for traits that are attractive to the opposite sex. This special type of natural selection enhances opportunities to mate, the tail of male peacocks being an iconic example.
Evolution
Jul 9, 2014
2
0
