New moth variety disarms plants guarded by selenium
In new work, researchers report that the ability of plants to defend themselves by accumulating high levels of a toxic element can be overcome by some insects, and that such adaptation potentially echoes in the food web as other predators and parasites may in turn evolve to deal with high levels of the toxic element. view more (2006-11-21)
Does natural selection drive the evolution of cancer?
The dynamics of evolution are fully in play within the environment of a tumor, just as they are in forests and meadows, oceans and streams. This is the view of researchers in an emerging cross-disciplinary field that brings the thinking of ecologists and evolutionary biologists to bear on cancer biology. view more (2006-11-20)
Unraveling where chimp and human brains diverge
Six million years ago, chimpanzees and humans diverged from a common ancestor and evolved into unique species. view more (2006-11-14)
Sperm proteome gives "tantalising glimpse" towards the origin of sex
The first ever catalogue of the different types of proteins found in sperm could help reveal the origins of sex and explain some of the mysteries of infertility, say scientists. view more (2006-11-13)
Neuron Cell Stickiness May Hold Key to Evolution of the Human Brain
The stickiness of human neurons may have been a key factor in why the human brain evolved beyond the brains of our primate relatives. In a study comparing the genomes of humans, chimpanzees, mice and other vertebrates, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Joint Genome Institute... view more... (2006-11-06)
Novel experiment documents evolution of genome in near-real time
A team led by bioengineering researchers at UC San Diego report in the November issue of Nature Genetics rapid evolutionary changes in a bacterial genome, observed in near-real time over a few days. view more (2006-11-06)
Scientists' cell discovery unearths evolutionary clues
The full family tree of the species known as social amoebas has been plotted for the first time - a breakthrough which will provide important clues to the evolution of life on earth. view more (2006-10-30)
New Study Has Important Implications for Influenza Surveillance
Researchers are reporting results of a study that substantially alters the existing understanding of how the influenza virus evolves and that could have important implications for monitoring changes to the virus and predicting which strains should be used for flu vaccine. view more (2006-10-27)
Scientists crack open stellar evolution
Using 3D models run on some of the fastest computers in the world, Laboratory physicists have created a mathematical code that cracks a mystery surrounding stellar evolution. view more (2006-10-27)
Research discovers oldest bee, evolutionary link
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered the oldest bee ever known, a 100 million year old specimen preserved in almost lifelike form in amber, and an important link to help explain the rapid expansion of flowering plants during that distant period. view more (2006-10-26)
Discovery of a molecular mechanism underlying limb architecture
A genetic study performed by Dr. Marie Kmita, a researcher at the Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), in collaboration with Drs Basile Tarchini and Denis Duboule of the University of Geneva in Switzerland, sheds light on the origins of the architecture of arms and legs. view more (2006-10-26)
Viral marker of human migration suspect
A benign virus previously used as a marker in tracing human migration may be unreliable. view more (2006-10-25)
Evolutionary harmony for stinkbugs and their gut bacteria: A perfect match
With some 1 million species and counting, insects may be the most abundant class of animals living today. Their protective exoskeleton, prolific reproductive rate, and wings help their cause, as do the symbiotic bacteria that inhabit their cells, gut, or body cavity. view more (2006-10-10)
Genome archaeology illuminates the genetic engineering debate
Genome Research's cover story for Oct. 2 tells a tale of "genome archaeology" by genetic researchers who dug deeply into the long history of maize and rice. view more (2006-10-04)
Report challenges common ecological hypothesis about species abundance
A new report finds little empirical evidence to support a widely held ecological assumption that species are most abundant near the centers of their geographic ranges and decline in abundance near the ranges' edges. view more (2006-10-04)
Conflict over rearing young shapes breeding systems
An article in the October 2006 issue of BioScience, the monthly journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), describes evidence that conflict between male and female shorebirds over which member of a breeding pair will raise their young has had a profound influence on the evolution of breeding systems in these birds. view more (2006-10-03)
How did bilaterally symmetric flowers evolve from radially symmetric ones?
The researchers found that plants bearing bilaterally symmetrical flowers were more visited by pollinators and had higher fitness, measured by both the number of seeds produced per plant and the number of seeds surviving to the juvenile stage, than plants with radially symmetric flowers. view more (2006-10-03)
How nature tinkers with the cellular clock
The life of a cell is all about growing and dividing at the right time. That is why the cell cycle is one of the most tightly regulated cellular processes. view more (2006-09-28)
Oldest juvenile skeleton discovered will help piece together human development
Discovery of a nearly intact 3.3 million year-old juvenile skeleton is filling an important gap in understanding the evolution of a species thought to be among the earliest direct ancestors to humans. view more (2006-09-21)
Islands spark accelerated evolution
The notion of islands as natural test beds of evolution is nearly as old as the theory itself. The restricted scale, isolation, and sharp boundaries of islands create unique selective pressures, often to dramatic effect. view more (2006-09-12)
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