Tag: Evolutionary biology
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AI Protein Language Model Illuminates How Convergent Evolution Shapes Life
AI Language Models Unlock Secrets of Convergent Evolution In a groundbreaking study, Chinese scientists have used an artificial intelligence (AI) protein language model to reveal why distant organisms often develop similar traits when faced with comparable environmental challenges. The research, led by a team from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,…
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AI Protein Language Model Reveals Secrets of Convergent Evolution
Unlocking the Mystery of Convergent Evolution with AI In a landmark study that bridges biology and artificial intelligence, researchers from the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have shed light on why distantly related species sometimes develop strikingly similar traits. Using an artificial intelligence (AI) protein language model, the team uncovered a…
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AI protein language model uncovers how convergent evolution arises in nature
New AI tool sheds light on convergent evolution A team of Chinese scientists has taken a significant step in understanding how distant life forms independently develop similar abilities when faced with comparable environmental challenges. By applying a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) protein language model, the researchers uncovered a key mechanism that explains convergent evolution—the repeated…
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How Bats Reused Old Genes to Grow Wings: The Regulatory Evolution Behind Flight
The Mystery of the Flying Mammals Bats have long fascinated scientists as the only mammals capable of true powered flight. Their wings are not a new limb but a remarkable modification of the familiar five-digit limb layout shared by all mammals. The question has always been: how do bats become flyers when the genetic blueprint…
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Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish
A new timeline for the origin of otophysan fish Scientists have long noted that two‑thirds of all freshwater fishes possess a sophisticated hearing system known as the Weberian apparatus, a set of middle-ear bones that lets these fish hear much higher frequencies than most ocean species. In a stunning revision of this history, UC Berkeley…
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Atlas Blue Butterfly Sets World Record with 229 Chromosome Pairs
Atlas Blue Butterfly Breaks World Record for Chromosomes The tiny Atlas blue butterfly, Polyommatus atlantica, has been genetically confirmed to carry the highest number of chromosomes among multicellular animals. Researchers report an astonishing 229 pairs of chromosomes, far surpassing the chromosome counts of many of its close relatives, which often have about 23 or 24…
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Tongue-Bite Innovation Rewrites 310 Million-Year Fish Evolution
Unveiling the Tongue-Bite: A 310-Million-Year Innovation A recent study by a University of Michigan-led team reveals the earliest known tongue-like biting structure in an ancient fish. The species, Platysomus, lived about 310 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian period, a time when ray-finned fishes were experimenting with new feeding strategies. The discovery shows that these…