Small evolutionary shifts make big impacts, study finds
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the developing fetus, cell growth follows a very specific schedule. In the eye's retina, for example, cones -- which help distinguish color during the day -- develop before the more...
View ArticleStudy sheds light on evolution of human complexity
(PhysOrg.com) -- A painstaking analysis of thousands of genes and the proteins they encode shows that human beings are biologically complex, at least in part, because of the way humans evolved to cope...
View ArticleAlternative evolution: Why change your own genes when you can borrow someone...
It has been a basic principle of evolution for more than a century that plants and animals can adapt genetically in ways that help them better survive and reproduce.
View ArticleExamining evolution from a cellular perspective
The evolutionary processes of unicellular and multicellular organisms are continually under debate. John Torday, Ph.D., a lead investigator at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed), has...
View ArticleChinese scientists crack the genome of diploid cotton
The international research team led by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and BGI have completed the genome sequence and analysis of a diploid cotton— Gossypium raimondii. The cotton genome...
View ArticleJapan aquarium shows mysterious clear-blood fish
The deep oceans have yielded many mysteries that have puzzled people for centuries, from the giant squid to huge jellyfish that look like UFOs. To that list add a fish with totally transparent blood.
View ArticleA surprising new function for small RNAs in evolution
An international research team in including Christian Schlötterer and Alistair McGregor of the Vetmeduni Vienna has discovered a completely new mechanism by which evolution can change the appearance of...
View ArticleWhole-genome sequencing uncovers the mysteries of the endangered Chinese...
In a study published in Cell Research, Chinese scientists from Zhejiang University and BGI have completed the genome sequencing and analysis of the endangered Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)....
View ArticleTeam discovers evolutionary mechanism that allows bacteria to resist antibiotics
In research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University Mee-Ngan F. Yap, Ph.D., discovered new...
View ArticleIn fending off diseases, plants and animals are much the same, research shows
(PhysOrg.com) -- It may have been 1 billion years since plants and animals branched apart on the evolutionary tree but down through the ages they have developed strikingly similar mechanisms for...
View ArticleChromosome number changes in yeast
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have uncovered the evolutionary mechanisms that have caused increases or decreases in the numbers of chromosomes in a group of yeast species during the last...
View ArticleGlow-in-the-dark millipede says 'stay away'
As night falls in certain mountain regions in California, a strange breed of creepy crawlies emerges from the soil: Millipedes that glow in the dark. The reason behind the glowing secret has stumped...
View ArticleResearchers find genes that help frogs resist fungus
(PhysOrg.com) -- For several decades, the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been decimating frogs, yet some populations and species have been able to resist the fatal disease,...
View ArticleCaveman instincts still play role in choosing political leaders
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to voter preference, the issues count. But some may pull the handle for a more primal reason: Physical fitness and stature against an opponent.
View ArticleCastaway lizards provide insight into elusive evolutionary process
A University of Rhode Island biologist who released lizards on tiny uninhabited islands in the Bahamas has shed light on the interaction between evolutionary processes that are seldom observed.
View ArticlePrion proteins play powerful role in survival, evolution of wild yeast strains
Prions, the much-maligned proteins most commonly known for causing "mad cow" disease, are commonly used in yeast to produce beneficial traits in the wild. Moreover, such traits can be passed on to...
View ArticleSlow snails, fast genes: Predatory snails refine venoms through continuous...
(Phys.org) -- When tropical marine cone snails sink their harpoon-like teeth into their prey, they inject paralyzing venoms made from a potent mix of more than 100 different neurotoxins.
View ArticleHow the same plant species can programme itself to flower at different times...
(Phys.org) -- Researchers led by Professor Caroline Dean have uncovered the genetic basis for variations in the vernalization response shown by plants growing in very different climates, linking...
View ArticleUncoiling the cucumber's enigma: Researchers discover a biological mechanism...
Captivated by a strange coiling behavior in the grasping tendrils of the cucumber plant, researchers at Harvard University have characterized a new type of spring that is soft when pulled gently and...
View ArticleFruit flies reveal surprising new evolutionary link for studying human health
New research reveals that fruit flies and mammals may share a surprising evolutionary link in how they control body temperature through circadian rhythm, unlocking new ways to study the insects as...
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