Evolution News and Research

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The Evolutionary Dynamics of Evolvability: Insights from Microevolution to Macroevolution

Ever since Darwin published his landmark theory of how species evolve, biologists have been fascinated with the intricate mechanisms that make evolution possible.

13 May 2024

Understanding Genome Scrambling in Oikopleura Dioica

When two animals look the same, eat the same, behave the same way, and live in similar environments, one might expect that they belong to the same species.

10 May 2024

Rice University Develops AI-Powered Tools for Unraveling Microbial Genomes

Since the first microbial genome was sequenced in 1995, scientists have reconstructed the genomic makeup of hundreds of thousands of microorganisms and have even devised methods to take a census of bacterial communities on the skin, in the gut, or in soil, water and elsewhere based on bulk samples, leading to the emergence of a relatively new field of study known as metagenomics.

8 May 2024

Unveiling the Role of NCLX Protein in Mitochondrial Calcium Regulation and Autophagy

An article published in The Faseb Journal describes a Brazilian study analyzing the correlation between two key energy metabolism regulation processes: the absorption and release of calcium ions by mitochondria, the organelles that generate energy for cells; and autophagy induced by calorie restriction.

3 May 2024

New Study Sheds Light on Genetic Adaptations of Papua New Guinean Populations

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a wide range of environments, each presenting unique challenges to human survival. Highlanders and lowlanders of PNG are striking examples of populations facing distinct environmental stress.

2 May 2024

Understanding How Genetic Drivers Influence the Evolution of Photosynthesis Mechanism in Tillandsia

Researchers at the University of Vienna, along with collaborators from France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA, have achieved a major breakthrough in understanding how genetic drivers influence the evolution of a specific photosynthesis mechanism in Tillandsia (air plants).

2 May 2024

AI Models Predict Plant Gene Activity with Unprecedented Precision

Genome sequencing technology provides thousands of new plant genomes annually. In agriculture, researchers merge this genomic information with observational data (measuring various plant traits) to identify correlations between genetic variants and crop traits like seed count, resistance to fungal infections, fruit color, or flavor.

30 Apr 2024

Genetic Insights: Safflower Genome Assembly Unlocks Key Traits for Crop Improvement

A research team completes a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the 'Chuanhonghua 1' safflower genome.

30 Apr 2024

Research Reveals Surprising Insights Into Yeast Evolution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics Abigail Leavitt LaBella has co-led an ambitious research study -; published this week in the widely influential journal Science -; that reports intriguing findings made through innovative artificial intelligence analysis about yeasts, the small fungi that are key contributors to biotechnology, food production and human health.

29 Apr 2024

The Evolution of CRISPR Technology in Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance

Assistant Professor Ibrahim Bitar of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital in Plzen, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Republic, will provide an overview of the molecular biology of CRISPR technology and highlight its potential applications in combating antimicrobial resistance in the second new research review.

29 Apr 2024

Largest Plant DNA Study Ever Unveils Flowering Plant Tree of Life

The most up-to-date understanding of the flowering plant tree of life is presented in a new study published today in the journal Nature by an international team of 279 scientists, including three University of Michigan biologists.

25 Apr 2024

Ancient Gene Holds Key to Mammalian Gliding

People say "When pigs fly" to describe the impossible. But even if most mammals are landlubbers, the ability to glide or fly has evolved again and again during mammalian evolution, in species ranging from bats to flying squirrels.

25 Apr 2024

Revealing the Genetic Mechanisms Driving SARS-CoV-2 Variants

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19, exhibits a troubling tendency to produce variants frequently.

23 Apr 2024

Study Uncovers Rare Fosa Predation Events on Critically Endangered Lemurs

What can be done when one threatened animal kills another? Scientists studying critically endangered lemurs in Madagascar confronted this difficult reality when they witnessed attacks on lemurs by another vulnerable species, a carnivore called a fosa.

22 Apr 2024

The Genetic Secret Behind Human Skull Morphology

Researchers at the Universities of Helsinki, Barcelona, and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have discovered a single nucleotide alteration that is crucial to the evolution of human skull morphology and influences the expression of the TBX1 gene and the formation of the skull base.

18 Apr 2024