https://phys.org/biology-news/evolution en-us The latest science news on evolution Colors are widely used in communication within and among animal species. For example, peacocks proudly display their vibrant tails, adorned with iridescent eyespots, to attract peahens for courtship. This is a classic example of sexual selection using color signaling. Conspicuous colors are also displayed by toxic animal species, including many venomous snakes and the brilliantly colored poison frogs of Central and South America, as a warning to potential predators. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-vision-animals-million-year-explosion.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:07:03 EST news650221621 Mirroring the mechanisms that make human faces and bodies—and those of many multicellular organisms—symmetrical, bee colonies build symmetrical nests when they are placed on either side of a double-sided comb. The finding, published in Current Biology, extends examples of symmetry in biology to the behavior of communities and the architectural structures that they build. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-symmetry-biology-bees-mirroring-patterns.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:51:15 EST news650213472 University of Maryland entomologists have uncovered a unique relationship between two species of fungi known for their ability to invade, parasitize and kill insects efficiently. Instead of violently competing for the spoils of war, the two fungi peacefully cooperate and share their victims. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-insect-fungi-unexpected-harmony-war.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:36:04 EST news650212562 The brain is a marvel of efficiency, honed by thousands of years of evolution so it can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Yet, despite decades of research, the mystery of how the brain achieves this has remained elusive. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-brains-fruit-flies-monkeys-scientists.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:34:29 EST news650194465 Teams of mountaineering mice are helping advance understanding into how evolutionary adaptation to localized conditions can enable a single species to thrive across diverse environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mountaineering-mice-evolutionary.html Plants & Animals Evolution Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:21:03 EST news650193661 What gives an Australian finch its brilliantly colored red, yellow or orange bill? A major new study has uncovered the genetic switches controlling these distinctive colors, revealing a key piece in the puzzle of how animals develop their coloration. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-genetic-red-yellow-orange-bills.html Plants & Animals Evolution Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:45:04 EST news650191501 Why is human culture—the shared body of knowledge passed down across generations—so much more powerful than animal cultures? https://phys.org/news/2024-11-evolutionary-anthropologist-hypothesis-humans-dominating.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:00:01 EST news650107581 Chromosphaera perkinsii is a single-celled species discovered in 2017 in marine sediments around Hawaii. The first signs of its presence on Earth have been dated at over a billion years, well before the appearance of the first animals. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ancient-unicellular-embryonic-prior-animals.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:00:01 EST news650127378 Sleep is one of the most mysterious, yet ubiquitous components of our biology. It has been described in all major groups of animals, including worms, jellyfish, insects or cephalopods, and in all vertebrates, from fish to humans. Common characteristics of sleep include reduced movement, decreased muscle tone, and an increased need for sleep after periods of deprivation, for example after a night out. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-australian-dragon-reveals-link-motor.html Plants & Animals Evolution Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:56:37 EST news650127388 Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the origin of a curious duplication that gives plants multiple ways to override instructions that are coded into their DNA. This research could help scientists exploit a plant's existing systems to favor traits that make it more resilient to environmental changes, like heat or drought stress. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-biologists-evolved-multiple-ways-override.html Evolution Agriculture Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EST news650107578 Between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, earthly life was in the doldrums. During this period, called the "boring billion," the complexity of life remained minimal, dominated by single-celled organisms with only sporadic ventures into multicellular forms. This era set the stage for the later emergence of complex multicellular life, marking a key chapter in evolutionary history. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-high-complexity-explores-energy-multicellular.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:11:23 EST news650121078 Billions of years ago, Earth was home to extreme environments, including intense UV radiation, frequent volcanic eruptions, and very high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet, under these conditions, biofilms formed and within these dense, slimy conditions, exciting things were happening. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-microbial-slime-ultimate-planet.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:10:06 EST news650110193 From the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to the shoulders of pirates: parrots are synonymous with color for people across the world. In a study published in the journal Science, scientists from The University of Hong Kong, together with an international team led by scientists from BIOPOLIS-CIBIO (Portugal) have uncovered for the first time a "switch" in the DNA of parrots that controls their wide gamut of colors. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-biologists-reveal-genetic-parrot-diversity.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 07:28:04 EST news650014081 A team of biologists, environmental scientists and geneticists affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has learned more about how mutations occur in clonally reproducing organisms by sequencing one of the oldest trees in the world. The group has posted their paper on the bioRxiv preprint server. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-sequencing-world-oldest-trees-mutations.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 09:40:01 EST news649935107 The fastest animal on land is the cheetah, capable of reaching top speeds of 104 kilometers per hour. In the water, the fastest animals are yellowfin tuna and wahoo, which can reach speeds of 75 and 77 km per hour respectively. In the air, the title of the fastest level flight (excluding diving) goes to the white-throated needletail swift, at more than 112 km per hour. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-big-small-modern-humans-ideal.html Plants & Animals Evolution Sat, 02 Nov 2024 15:20:01 EDT news649592697 A research team investigated whole chloroplast genomes and nuclear gene sequences from 14 species, uncovering new insights into the genetic diversity and hybrid origins of mango species. They used the evolutionary relationships within the Mangifera genus, revealing extensive cross-hybridization among species and offering implications for breeding and conservation efforts. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-insights-mango-evolution-reveals-extensive.html Evolution Agriculture Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:07:03 EDT news649681621 Bats are incredibly diverse animals: They can climb onto other animals to drink their blood, pluck insects from leaves or hover to drink nectar from tropical flowers, all of which require distinctive wing designs. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-comparison-bird-wings-reveals-evolutionary.html Plants & Animals Evolution Fri, 01 Nov 2024 11:49:03 EDT news649680541 In the game of evolution, key behavioral adaptations that confer fitness in survival and reproduction, paying tremendous dividends for an individual's progeny, may seemingly arise from thin air—so much so, even familiar species like the humble fruit fly can surprise biologists. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-wing-fruit-flies-insights-female.html Plants & Animals Evolution Fri, 01 Nov 2024 11:26:04 EDT news649679161 In a discovery that may further our understanding of the early evolution of life on Earth, a research team, including associate professor Andrew Palmer and master's student Caitlyn Hubric, identified Chile's deepest and most northern cold seeps—openings in the ocean floor that emit gases and fluids— about 100 miles off the Chilean coast and thousands of feet below the surface. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-early-life-earth-chilean.html Evolution Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:25:48 EDT news649607142 A study published in PeerJ has reshaped our understanding of the evolutionary history of sea stars, particularly the family Asteriidae. The study, titled "Phylogenetic and taxonomic revisions of Jurassic sea stars support a delayed evolutionary origin of the Asteriidae," introduces new findings that challenge longstanding assumptions about the evolutionary timeline of these marine invertebrates. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-reveals-delayed-evolutionary-asteriidae-sea.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:00:01 EDT news649499943 The development of primate brains is shaped by various inputs. However, these inputs differ between independent breeders, such as great apes, and cooperative breeders, such as the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) and humans. In these species, group members other than the parents contribute substantially to raising the infants from birth onwards. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-prolonged-brain-marmosets-human-evolution.html Evolution Ecology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:00:01 EDT news649500071 An international team of paleobiologists have found that the sinuses of ocean-dwelling relatives of modern-day crocodiles prevented them from evolving into deep divers like whales and dolphins. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-sinuses-prehistoric-crocodile-deep-paleobiologists.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 29 Oct 2024 20:10:01 EDT news649439290 The dingo was completely isolated from other canines on the Australian mainland for more than 5,000 years, until domestic dogs arrived on the scene. Subsequent concerns about livestock loss formed the basis of Australia's "wild dog" (dingo) pest control programs, which continue today. Stretching 5,614km across Australia, the "dingo fence" or "dog fence" was built in the 1880s to keep dingoes away from livestock in the southeast. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-dingoes-dogs-culling.html Evolution Ecology Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:38:29 EDT news649341504 A study by the German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen and Leipzig Zoo shows the remarkable adaptability of the critically endangered Cat Ba langurs. Despite low genetic diversity, the langurs have retained key genetic traits that help them survive in their isolated environment on Cat Ba Island in Vietnam. One of these remarkable adaptations is the ability to drink salt water. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-langurs-salt-endangered-species-defies.html Evolution Ecology Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:24:04 EDT news649337042 A team of paleobiologists and zoologists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Linyi University and Wageningen University has found evidence that the evolution of insect-eating birds likely drove relatively swift changes to the wings of ancient cicadas. In their paper, published in Science Advances, the group examined evolutional changes in more than 80 species of cicada wings during the Mesozoic era. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-ancient-cicada-wings-evolved-evolutionary.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:30:01 EDT news649332006 Thin, stretchy skin—like that of a pig or human—significantly lessens the underlying damage that occurs when it's punctured. Pig skin even outperforms synthetic materials that are designed to mimic skin, a new study finds. Its special qualities, in particular its ability to dissipate the energy of a puncturing object, greatly reduce the damage to deeper tissues, researchers report. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-thin-skin-significantly-blunts-injury.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:01:11 EDT news649332061 An international research team has developed an innovative method to study the evolution of sperm length in tetrapods. Using the Pareto principle, scientists from Germany and Italy analyzed the complex relationships between sperm length, body mass, sperm competition, and clutch size to capture evolutionary trade-offs among these traits. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-evolutionary-offs-sperm-length-tetrapods.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:19:03 EDT news649329541 A team at the University of Warwick is suggesting that human kissing evolved from grooming behaviors observed in ancestral great apes. In a study, "The Evolutionary Origin of Human Kissing," published in Evolutionary Anthropology, the researchers introduce the "groomer's final kiss hypothesis." https://phys.org/news/2024-10-groomer-hypothesis.html Evolution Sat, 26 Oct 2024 10:07:51 EDT news649156061 Mammals, including humans, stand out with their distinctively upright posture, a key trait that fueled their spectacular evolutionary success. Yet, the earliest known ancestors of modern mammals more resembled reptiles, with limbs stuck out to their sides in a sprawled posture. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-reveals-mammal-evolution-sprawling-upright.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:00:01 EDT news649063859 What is the "most Canadian" animal? Spoiler: it's not the beaver, or the moose. Published in the journal The Canadian Field-Naturalist, the study from a team of Simon Fraser University researchers ranks, for the first time ever, species of terrestrial vertebrates in Canada by their level of Canadian evolutionary distinctness: the amount of time animals have evolved independently from other Canadian species. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-moose-reveals-canadian-animals.html Plants & Animals Evolution Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:52:03 EDT news649083118