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Amoebae diversified at least 750 million years ago, far earlier than expected

A recent study reconstructed the evolutionary history of amoebae, showing that life on Earth was more diverse than previously thought, with ancestors of Thecamoebians evolving at least 750 million years ago. This discovery changes our understanding of current climate change and provides new insights into the evolution of life.

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Frigid polar oceans, not balmy coral reefs, are species-formation hot spots

A recent study reveals that the fastest rates of species formation occur at high latitudes and in cold ocean waters, contradicting the long-held assumption that tropical environments are evolutionary hot spots. The research found that cool-water and polar ocean fishes formed new species twice as fast as average tropical fish.

Palm trees are spreading northward -- how far will they go?

A new study reveals that palm trees can thrive in regions as cold as Washington DC, with an average temperature above 2 degrees Celsius. The study's findings suggest that palms are sensitive indicators of changing climates and can provide insights into past temperatures.

New research robustly resolves one of evolutionary biology's most heated disputes

Recent genomic analyses have flipped between whether sponges or comb jellies are the oldest lineage of living animals. New research by Professor Davide Pisani reveals that sponges are the most ancient lineage, with models that describe the data poorly favouring comb jellies and those that better describe the data favouring sponges.

The evolution of 'true frogs' defies long-held expectations of science

New research reveals that true frogs' rapid global dispersal was not associated with an increase in net-diversification, contradicting long-held scientific expectations. The study found that the origin of these frogs was Indochina, and their diversification occurred over millions of years through a steady accumulation of species.

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Molecular archaeology

A new phylogenetic tree resolves key relationships among vertebrates, including the identification of lungfishes as closest living relatives of land vertebrates. The study uses a novel set of analyses for building large-scale genomic datasets.

The tree of life has its roots in Jena

Ernst Haeckel's groundbreaking work in 1866 introduced the concept of monophyly and natural selection in speciation, illustrating the evolutionary history of organisms as a tree of life. This innovative method has remained unchanged for over 150 years, with its principle being widely adopted to represent biodiversity.

Evolutionary trees reveal patterns of microbial diversification

Researchers have created a new microbial 'family tree' that displays sudden bursts of diversification, potentially helping understand how harmful microbes evolve. This breakthrough uses coarse-graining and Λ-coalescent models to condense short branches into larger nodes, revealing patterns of ecological processes.

New method helps map species' genetic heritage

A new method called statistical binning has been developed to help researchers construct more accurate species trees detailing the lineage of genes and relationships between species. By combining gene data using statistical optimization techniques, scientists can use all available data without having to throw away any.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

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A new measure of biodiversity

Scientists applied a new method to Australia's Acacia genus, revealing biologically important but currently unprotected areas. The study confirmed the Wet Tropics rainforests' importance and identified places of 'super-endemism', where old and new species co-exist.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Two isolates from E. coli outbreak available

Researchers have sequenced two isolates from an E. coli outbreak, providing valuable genomic information to aid in understanding the origins of highly pathogenic strains. The genome annotations reveal unique islands and proteins that may hold clues to virulence or intervention strategies for the new strains.

New 'Tree of Life' established for one of the largest groups of bacteria

Researchers at Virginia Tech have constructed a powerful phylogenetic tree for the gamma-proteobacteria using hundreds of genes and integrating more information than traditional single-gene approaches. The consensus tree provides a tool for predicting shared biology and analyzing bacterial adaptations to their environments.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

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DNA deletion offers new evidence of mammals' origins

A team of biologists led by Mark Springer at the University of California, Riverside and including Ronald DeBry of the University of Cincinnati report in Nature that an intensive analysis of DNA sequences provides strong support for a grouping dubbed Afrotheria.