 |
|
Uprooting and replanting the tree of life
January 08, 2002A new theory on the evolution of ancient microbes is set to challenge widespread scientific views of early life on earth and could overturn previous interpretations of the huge bank of molecular taxonomic data that has been built up in recent years, according to research published today in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
"I`ve reinterpreted fossil records to show that eukaryotes, which includes plants, animals and fungi, are only half as old as previously thought and are quite closely related to a group of micro-organisms called archaebacteria. Archaebacteria therefore are also younger than they are usually thought," says Professor Tom Cavalier-Smith of Oxford University.
It is currently accepted that there are three branches to the tree of life: bacteria (as we know them), eukaryotes and archaebacteria. Bacteria evolved 3500-3850 million years ago. Archaebacteria were also believed to be ancient because of their unusual cell structure.
But Prof Cavalier-Smith argues, "This research shows that archaebacteria and eukaryotes should be placed together in one big group called neomura, which means new walls. These organisms have a common ancestor that evolved 850 million years ago to contain a substance called glycoprotein in its membrane, which gave it greater fluidity than the rigid cell walls of ordinary bacteria."
"The unusual cell structure of archaebacteria can be explained as relatively recent adaptations to life in extreme environments such as boiling water and hot acid. Many changes occurred in proteins that help to stabilise DNA such as histone proteins and ribosomes. These adaptations vastly accelerated the evolutionary rate of the molecules concerned, and implies that current estimates of age based on molecular data are hugely distorted," explains Prof Cavalier-Smith.
"The neomuran ancestor has been identified as an actinobacterium, which is related to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy. It is intriguing to think that we are more closely related to tuberculosis bacteria than they are to E. coli," says Prof Cavalier-Smith.
Society for General Microbiology
Evolution Current Events and Evolution News RSSDespite 'peacenik' reputation, bonobos hunt and eat other primates too
Unlike the male-dominated societies of their chimpanzee relatives, bonobo society-in which females enjoy a higher social status than males-has a "make-love-not-war" kind of image.
Bold traveler's journey toward the center of the Earth
The first ecosystem ever found having only a single biological species has been discovered 2.8 kilometers (1.74 miles) beneath the surface of the earth in the Mponeng gold mine near Johannesburg, South Africa.
Digital zebrafish embryo provides the first complete developmental blueprint of a vertebrate
Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have generated a digital zebrafish embryo - the first complete developmental blueprint of a vertebrate. With a newly developed microscope scientists could for the first time track all cells for the first 24 hours in the life of a zebrafish.
Study finds genetic variant plays role in cleft lip
University of Iowa researchers and collaborators have found, in a previously identified gene, a variation that likely contributes to one in five cases of isolated cleft lip.
NASA study finds rising Arctic storm activity sways sea ice, climate
A new NASA study shows that the rising frequency and intensity of arctic storms over the last half century, attributed to progressively warmer waters, directly provoked acceleration of the rate of arctic sea ice drift, long considered by scientists as a bellwether of climate change.
Cassini flyby of Saturn moon offers insight into solar system history
NASA's Cassini spacecraft is scheduled to fly within 16 miles of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Oct. 9 and measure molecules in its space environment that could give insight into the history of the solar system.
Gene expression in alligators suggests birds have 'thumbs'
The latest breakthrough in a 120 year-old debate on the evolution of the bird wing was published in the open-access journal PLoS ONE.
Researchers document world's mammals in crisis
From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals.
The Structure of the Mre11 Protein Bound to DNA
Repairing breaks in the two strands of the DNA double helix is critical for avoiding cancer. In humans and other organisms, a molecular machine called the MRN complex is responsible for finding and signaling double-strand breaks (DSBs), then launching the error-free method of DNA repair called homologous recombination.
Mysterious snippets of DNA withstand eons of evolution, Stanford study
Small stretches of seemingly useless DNA harbor a big secret, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. There's one problem: We don't know what it is.
More Evolution Current Events and Evolution News Articles
 | Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World by Michael Dowd Finally, the war between science and religion is over. The winner? All of us. With supporters from an incredibly wide spectrum of backgrounds and beliefs, including five Nobel laureates, Thank God for Evolution! builds bridges, provides guidance, and restores realistic hope for humanity and the body of life as a whole. A movement has been growing over the past few decades that takes our common... |
 | Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution: Turn Off the Genes That Are Killing You--And Your Waistline--And Drop the Weight for Good by Steven R. Dr Gundry YOUR GENES ARE TRYING TO KILL YOU– AND YOU’RE EATING IT UP!Does losing weight and staying healthy feel like a battle? Well, it’s really a war. Your enemies are your own genes, backed by millions of years of evolution, and the only way to win is to outsmart them.Dr. Steven Gundry explains what your body is “thinking” and tells you why, surprisingly, your genes actually “want” you to... |
 | Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives by David Sloan Wilson What is the biological reason for gossip?For laughter? For the creation of art?Why do dogs have curly tails?What can microbes tell us about morality?These and many other questions are tackled by renowned evolutionist David Sloan Wilson in this witty and groundbreaking new book. With stories that entertain as much as they inform, Wilson outlines the basic principles of evolution and shows how,... |
 | Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters by Donald R. Prothero Over the past twenty years, paleontologists have made tremendous fossil discoveries, including fossils that mark the growth of whales, manatees, and seals from land mammals and the origins of elephants, horses, and rhinos. Today there exists an amazing diversity of fossil humans, suggesting we walked upright long before we acquired large brains, and new evidence from molecules that enable... |
 | Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant In our current era of holy terror, passionate faith has come to seem like a present danger. Writers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens have been happy to throw the baby out with the bathwater and declare that the danger is in religion itself. God, Hitchens writes, is not great.But man, according to George E. Vaillant, M.D., is great. In Spiritual Evolution, Dr. Vaillant... |
 | The Evolution of Cooperation: Revised Edition by Robert Axelrod The Evolution of Cooperation provides valuable insights into the age-old question of whether unforced cooperation is ever possible. Widely praised and much-discussed, this classic book explores how cooperation can emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists-whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals-when there is no central authority to police their actions. The problem of cooperation is... |
 | The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism by Richard P. Mcbrien From the struggles of the very first Christians to the challenges and scandals of today, the Catholic Church has wrestled with how to organize itself, express its beliefs, and nurture its members. The Church has grown from a handful of disciples in the first century to over one billion members in the twenty-first, resulting in profound changes that demand a theological response. In this sweeping... |
 | Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies -- and What It Means to Be Human by Joel Garreau Taking us behind the scenes with today’s foremost researchers and pioneers, bestselling author Joel Garreau shows that we are at a turning point in history. At this moment we are engineering the next stage of human evolution. Through advances in genetic, robotic, information, and nanotechnologies, we are altering our minds, our memories, our metabolisms, our personalities, our progeny–and... |
 | Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach About Evolution is Wrong by Jonathan Wells Everything you were taught about evolution is... |
 | Evolution by Douglas J. Futuyma In its scope and emphases, Evolution is a readily recognized descendant of the author's previous textbook, Evolutionary Biology. However, it is much shorter and is exclusively directed toward an undergraduate audience. Teachers and students will find the list of important concepts and terms in each chapter a helpful guide, and will appreciate the radically different dynamic figures and lively... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |