Tag: Evolutionary biology
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When Phages Meet Space: How Bacteriophages Evolve in Microgravity
Introduction: Space as a Lab for Evolution Microorganisms are tiny players with outsized influence on ecosystems. When scientists sent bacteriophages — viruses that infect bacteria — into space, they hoped to test how a fundamental evolutionary arms race would unfold in an environment drastically different from Earth. The results have surprised researchers and opened new…
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Scientists Reconstruct Extinct Cannabis Enzymes and Map the Plant’s Origins
Unlocking Cannabis Origins Through Extinct Enzymes In a groundbreaking study, scientists have resurrected extinct enzymes from the cannabis plant and used them to unravel the evolutionary history of its chemical arsenal. By reviving ancestral protein variants, researchers gain insights into how cannabis developed its distinctive compounds, including its infamous cannabinoids, over millions of years. The…
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How a Scientific Sandbox Sheds Light on the Evolution of Vision Systems
Introduction: A New Way to Study the Eyes We Have The evolution of vision is a long, tangled story shaped by environmental pressures, anatomy, and the physics of light. Scientists have long studied how eyes—from the simple light-sensitive patches on ancient organisms to the complex camera-like eyes of humans—came to be. A new computational framework…
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Territory Warfare: How Chimpanzee Kills Shape Reproductive Success
Understanding the Study For years, researchers have watched chimpanzee communities in the dense forests of Africa to understand how territory and social dynamics influence reproduction. A landmark study led by primatologist John Mitani at the University of Michigan documented a stark pattern: chimpanzee groups that engage in lethal aggression against neighboring communities to seize territory…
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CRISPR Resurrects Ancient Gene to Fight Gout and Fatty Liver
CRISPR Brings Back an Ancient Gene With Modern Implications A recent report in Scientific Reports unveils a bold genetic experiment: scientists used CRISPR gene-editing tools to revive a gene that vanished from the human lineage millions of years ago. The revived gene appears to modulate purine metabolism and uric acid production, leading to lower uric…
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Elevated DNA Damage in Short-Sleeping Mexican Cavefish Without Visible Aging Signs
Overview: When Sleep Meets Genetics in a Special Fish Sleep is a universal behavior across the animal kingdom, serving crucial roles in memory, metabolism, and cellular maintenance. A remarkable line of research now turns its attention to the Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus), a species adapted to perpetually dark, resource-scarce environments. In these cave-dwelling populations, scientists…
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Short-Sleeping Mexican Cavefish Show Elevated DNA Damage Without Apparent Aging
Overview: A surprising link between sleep, DNA damage, and aging In an intriguing twist on the sleep–aging paradigm, researchers studying the Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) have observed elevated DNA damage in individuals that sleep significantly less than their surface-dwelling relatives. Despite the uptick in DNA lesions, these short-sleeping cavefish do not exhibit the typical hallmarks…
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First-of-its-Kind ‘Butt Drag Fossil’ in South Africa Rewrites Furry-Earth History
Unearthing a Surprising Fossil Footprint In fossil records, the ordinary lifeways of small mammals can yield extraordinary clues about the past. Archaeologists and paleontologists in South Africa have announced a remarkable discovery: a fossil associated with a small, furry creature that once inhabited rocky terrains. The find has been nicknamed the “butt drag fossil,” a…
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Leaf Arrangement Drives Fern Vascular Pattern Evolution, Study Finds
New insight into fern vascular evolution A recent study led by Assistant Professor Jacob S. Suissa from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, challenges a long-standing view of how ferns evolve their internal vascular systems. Rather than stem vasculature adapting primarily to environmental conditions, Suissa’s team found that shifts in leaf arrangement along the stem covary…
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Four mutations in naked mole rats’ cGAS improve DNA repair and longevity
How naked mole rats defy ageing The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a small, hairless rodent native to East Africa famed for living up to about 37 years—nearly ten times longer than mammals of similar size. For years, scientists have wondered what molecular tricks these creatures use to keep their DNA intact as the…