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Uncovering how cells build tissues and organs

Engineers from the University of Rochester's Department of Biomedical Engineering are studying how cells interact mechanically with the extracellular matrix to build tissues and organs. The study aims to shed light on developmental diseases, such as cancer and failed wound healing, which involve distorted principles during development.

A whale of a tail: Unraveling the evolutionary secrets of how whales and dolphins adapted their backbones for aquatic life

Researchers found that cetaceans' backbones are highly regionalized, with a shift in vertebral column driving locomotion in aquatic environments. The team developed a computational software, MorphoRegions, to analyze the backbone of each specimen individually.

North China fossils show eukaryotes first acquired multicellularity 1.63 billion years ago

The discovery of 1.63-billion-year-old multicellular fossils from North China reveals that eukaryotes acquired simple multicellularity approximately 1.05 billion years ago. This finding supports the early appearance of the last eukaryotic common ancestor in the late Paleoproterozoic, consistent with molecular clock studies.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalScience Advances·TypeMeta-analysis·DateJan 24, 2024

Multiple evolutionary trajectories in aquatic crocodiles

Researchers at the University of Liège used 3D modeling to analyze the evolutionary trajectories of thalattosuchians and dyrosaurs, two species that colonized marine environments independently. The study reveals significant differences in adaptations and functional capacities between these groups and present-day crocodiles.

SourceUniversity of Liège·JournalPalaeontology·DateNov 15, 2023