Articles tagged with Evolutionary Methods
A team of researchers used a combination of Electron Spin Resonance, Luminescence and palaeomagnetic methods to reconstruct the Quaternary evolution of the lower Moulouya River in northeast Morocco.
A new technique allows for the growth of large, single-crystal-like graphene films over a foot long, enabling high-quality two-dimensional materials necessary for practical applications. The novel approach harnesses an evolutionary 'survival of the fittest' competition among crystals to produce uniform and robust graphene.
A new study integrates various theories on plant evolution timescales, suggesting that land plants likely arose during the Cambrian period and vascular plants between the late Ordovician and Silurian periods. This finding challenges existing theories on Earth's terrestrial biosphere assembly.
A new method combining behavioral analyses with computer modeling revealed that individual fish pay attention to one or two neighbors when the school moves together. This finding has important implications for understanding how schooling fish coordinate their movements and could lead to advances in coordinating artificial systems.
Scientists have improved their ability to track species by analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA) found in water samples. This new method uses polymerase chain reaction technology to amplify long, intact pieces of DNA, allowing for more accurate species identifications and genetic variation detection within species.
Scientists found that selecting longer-lived sperm increases the survival prospects and quality of offspring. The study used zebrafish to demonstrate that this selection can also carry over to the next generation. Longer-lived sperm produced offspring with higher fitness, including increased survival rates and faster swimming speeds.
A new study found that species from groups with high ongoing diversification are at greater risk of extinction than slowly diversifying lineages. Saving just 20 species could safeguard an estimated 1.4 billion years of evolutionary history for fast-speciating amphibian groups.
A new method in dentine analysis reveals permanent records of Vitamin D deficiency, shedding light on human adaptation and health conditions. The study offers a valuable resource for understanding rickets, affecting over 1 billion people worldwide.
Researchers have developed new methods to estimate wild animal population sizes from camera trap data, enhancing effective wildlife management and conservation. This approach facilitates improved information about animal abundance and its variation in space and time.
Researchers found that non-cooperative norms initially dominate, followed by a norm allowing complex judgment of good and bad behavior. Cooperation then spreads as multiple cooperative norms coexist.
Researchers improve methods to study Earth's history by addressing bias in data from old rocks. New technique reduces errors, providing more accurate paleointensity measurements.
A new approach to analyzing animal teeth reveals dietary patterns of extinct species, providing insights into past environments. The technique's precision will help researchers predict how animals adapt to environmental changes, informing conservation efforts.
Robert McGraw's 1997 paper introduced a new method to mathematically characterize aerosol dynamics, which has been widely used in various fields. The award recognizes his work's significant impact on aerosol research and climate modeling.
Scientists have created peptide-based materials that can reorganize their sequences to adapt to their environment, paving the way for new product possibilities including drug delivery, food science, and cosmetics. The method allows for unbiased discovery of optimized structures through self-selection.
Scientists developed a new computational method to plan restoration of habitats and improve connectivity across landscapes. The approach optimizes the size, quality, and connectivity of ecological networks to facilitate species range shifts.
A new study reveals that plant-eating ornithopod dinosaurs experienced four evolutionary bursts, with improved jaws and efficiency playing a key role. Despite rapid plant evolution during the Mesozoic, these herbivores remained successful, with some species even specializing in conifer digestion.
Scientists studied wheat evolution from wild to emmer and durum wheat, finding initial domestication reduced unsaturated fatty acids. Secondary domestication changed amino acid content, suggesting yield-related traits may have prioritized adaptation over nutrition.
Researchers at the University of Delaware used satellite measurements to predict Atlantic sturgeon locations. They identified six seascapes that sturgeon prefer and combined them with ocean color and temperature data to create a map that can help fishermen avoid catching the vulnerable species.
Researchers suggest that a single mutation in protein interactions was crucial for the transition from single-celled to multi-cellular organisms. This discovery has implications for understanding disease states, such as cancer, where damaged cells can revert to a unicellular state.
Researchers applied complexity theory from computer science to study ecological and evolutionary dynamics, revealing unexpected connections between the two fields. They found that certain fundamental questions in ecology and evolution can be precisely characterized by specific classes of complexity theory.
Chapman University has been awarded a $4 million U.S. Army Research Office grant to develop advanced methods for extracting information from continuous microwave signals. The project, led by Dr. Justin Dressel, aims to improve upon existing error correction methods using superconducting quantum bits.
The paper calls for creating a task force to evaluate the classification of aging as a disease in ICD-11. Classifying aging as a disease could help shift the focus from treatment to prevention, attracting more resources to aging research and business cases for pharmaceutical companies.
The Datink method uses a solvent's evaporation speed to date documents, overcoming issues with ink deposition and paper type. It can determine the age of ink on documents with an approximation margin of about 20%.
Researchers tested Goffin cockatoos' ability to infer by exclusion, a cognitive capacity where animals choose between known and unknown stimuli. More than half of the birds showed evidence of this ability, indicating they could distinguish between rewarded and unrewarded stimuli.
Researchers found that equatorial bats in Panama do not employ the sophisticated echolocation technique used by other bat families, instead using a simpler method to locate prey. This lack of refinement may be due to the abundance of food at the equator, making advanced hunting techniques unnecessary.
Patrick Matthew described large-scale evolution through natural selection decades before Darwin, with some differing ideas but equal validity
Researchers at Durham University and the University of São Paulo discovered a correlation between single-walled carbon nanotube concentration and computational capability in composite materials. The emerging field of 'evolution-in-materio' uses natural evolution principles to train materials to mimic electronic circuits.
A new methodology called Lasso has been developed to find an evolutionary tree even when some comparisons are missing. The NCYC team evaluated Lasso on their datasets and found it outperformed alternative approaches.
A study comparing genome sequences of 29 mammals reveals how evolution repurposes shared genes for unique traits. The research provides insights into the 'mammalian radiation,' a period of rapid morphological evolution that occurred after the asteroid impact that caused the dinosaurs' extinction.
Researchers develop minimally invasive method to detect plastics exposure in seabirds using gland oil samples and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This technique can inform policy makers and citizens about the impacts of plastic litter at a global scale.
New research in the FASEB Journal suggests that a specific combination of lipids contributes to how living creatures capture sunlight and convert it into energy. This natural combination is strikingly conserved throughout evolution, indicating its importance for ensuring light capture and conversion.
Scientists discovered that key characteristics of flight, such as body size and forelimb length, evolved simultaneously in a group of dinosaurs. These findings suggest that birds arose through multiple evolutionary steps, with powered flight emerging later.
Researchers at Hebrew University deciphered the mode by which neurotransmitter inhibitors work, raising hopes for new and effective drugs for brain disorders. The study used baker's yeast as a model and identified flexible domains in the structure of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) responsible for tetrabenazine binding.
Researchers found that people, especially men, tend to perceive risk-seekers as taller and stronger than cautious individuals. The study used fictional characters and real-life scenarios to demonstrate this phenomenon.
Researchers from Max Planck Institute for Ornithology found that friendly labels reduced interaction with equipment, with 40% less interference compared to neutral or threatening labels. The study suggests that friendly messages could minimize the number of incidences of vandalism and theft.
Researchers developed a new state-space model to analyze fish movement data collected by marine observation networks. The model quantifies uncertainty associated with imperfect locating systems, providing better information for marine conservation activities.
Scientists used DNA extracted from insects' stomachs to identify the plants they eat, with results matching prior observations and taking significantly less time. This study provides a new method for understanding plant-herbivore interactions and has implications for biodiversity research.
A new research study published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution found that methods used by amateur citizen scientists compare well with traditional scientific methods for monitoring species diversity. The study detected greater marine diversity using a volunteer technique than traditional scientific surveys in the same waters.
Researchers at CNIO have developed new computational methods to study the evolution of proteins and their interactions. These methods enable predictions of molecular relationships and structural changes, with potential applications in cancer treatment and drug development.
Experimental work on ancestral visual pigments and their mutational variants reveals that standard computational approaches are not reliable for inferring evolutionary pathways. Researchers now call for a shift towards experimental approaches to test hypotheses about protein evolution.
Scientists from the University of Bonn found over 60 new paramyxovirus species in bats and rodents, revealing that bats are the original hosts of these viruses. The study suggests that bats may be a reservoir for dangerous viruses, making it challenging to eradicate them.
A Michigan State University professor is exploring the origin of life at its fundamental building blocks, finding connections between bacteria and humans through molecular complementarity. This shared set of modules may hold the key to understanding evolution and explaining diseases like diabetes.
The discovery of Juramaia sinensis, a 160-million-year-old fossil, fills an important gap in the fossil record and helps to calibrate modern DNA-based methods of dating. The fossil provides evidence of the date when eutherian mammals diverged from other mammals.
Studying homoplasy helps scientists analyze overwhelming genetic data and identify evolution processes. Examples include salamander body length increase through individual vertebrae modification and flower petal evolution on multiple occasions.
At this year's AAAS meeting, Caltech researchers will present topics ranging from solar and renewable energy solutions to the latest advancements in bioengineering. Nathan Lewis will discuss strategies for achieving clean energy goals and generating clean fuels from sunlight and water.
Research by Dr Annette Baudisch reveals that pace and shape of ageing are distinct factors in species longevity. Humans age strongly but have a slow pace of ageing, while robins live fast but have a steep shape of ageing.
Researchers at Michigan State University used digital evolution techniques to study altruism in species, finding that genes are more likely to help those physically similar to them. This challenges traditional kin selection theory and raises the possibility of life on other planets based on shared genes rather than familial units.
The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) has been awarded a $25 million 5-year grant from the NSF to continue its cutting-edge research in evolutionary biology. The center plans to expand its programs and add new initiatives, including graduate fellowships and international research partnerships.
A new Excel-based application, Spatio-Temporal Animal Reduction (S.T.A.R.), aims to optimize culling strategies for invasive species in Australia. The model was developed by ecologists at the University of Adelaide to improve the success of wildlife managers tasked with eradicating feral animals.
Researchers argue that combining concepts and tools from multiple disciplines can yield new findings, citing examples such as J. John Sepkoski Jr.'s database of fossil records and synthetic paleobiology. The authors also highlight the potential of integrating methods, conceptual synthesis, and re-use of results to transform science.
Researchers overcome DNA contamination hurdle to analyze 30,000-year-old human DNA using modern sequencing techniques, providing insights into the evolution and prehistory of our species. The study allows scientists to directly glimpse into the genetic makeup of ancient humans who lived tens of thousands of years ago.
A new computational tool provides accurate insights into DNA and protein sequence evolution by avoiding systematic errors. The results suggest that sequence turnover is much more common than assumed, with a higher frequency of insertions and lower frequency of deletions.
Researchers designed an enzyme for a specific reaction using computational design, but the synthetic enzyme was less efficient than naturally occurring ones. However, by allowing the enzyme to undergo 'evolution in a test tube,' they were able to improve its efficiency 200-fold and increase reaction rates by a million-fold.
The symposium highlights pioneering percutaneous interventions for aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair, with promising results. Catheter-based stem cell therapy also shows promise in regenerating scarred heart areas and halting enlargement of the heart.
Philosopher Philip Kitcher receives $10,000 cash award and designates first 'Prometheus Laureate', honoring lifetime research contributions to expanding philosophical frontiers in science.
Researchers discovered a genetic mechanism in plants that prevents the regrowth of a trait once it's lost, contradicting earlier studies. The findings highlight the importance of considering genetic data when reconstructing evolutionary history.
Researchers used a novel technique to study the diets of ancient humans, Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. The analysis revealed significant overlap in their diets, with P. robustus consuming both hard and tough foods.
Studies suggest that maximum parsimony, a simpler method, is more accurate than maximum likelihood in inferring historical relationships among species. The results published in Nature challenge the state-of-the-art technique's accuracy and highlight its limitations.
Researchers created a map of the influenza A (H3N2) virus's antigenic and genetic evolution from 1968 to 2003, revealing 11 closely related virus clusters. The approach will aid in monitoring antigenic differences among vaccine strains and predicting infection success of emerging viruses.
Research reveals Borneo's elephants are genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, suggesting they may have parted ways 300,000 years ago. This classification changes the focus of their conservation, as their habitats are increasingly disrupted by human expansion.