There’s no guarantee evolution will bestow the best version of every trait. The benefits of one trait may impose a cost when an unfavorable trait, correlated genetically, comes along for the ride. In a recent study on wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) … Continue reading
Journal Club
Highlighting recently published papers selected by Academy members
Category Archives: Developmental Biology
Honeybee queens influence offspring caste through egg size
Queen bees have surprising sway over the future development of their eggs, a recent study reports. The reigning bee matriarch lays larger eggs in the wax honeycomb cells where workers raise new queens as compared with the eggs laid in … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology | Genetics | Journal Club
Tagged honeybee, maternal effect, queen
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Journal Club: Scientists culture human placenta cells in hopes of understanding pregnancy complications
A collection of human placental cells known as trophoblasts are responsible for much of what goes right in a healthy pregnancy. But growing and studying these cells in the lab has been a major challenge. Now, a team of Japanese … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Developmental Biology | Journal Club | Reproductive biology | Uncategorized
Tagged placenta, pregnancy, stem cell, trophoblast
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Journal Club: Cells use waves to regulate mitosis, suggesting similar wave dynamics as myriad natural phenomena
Over the past decade, biologists have discovered an ever-increasing number of phenomena that exhibit wave-like behavior. Everything from the firing of neurons to the spread of a virus through a population can show a similar pattern: they emanate from … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Developmental Biology | Journal Club | Physics
Tagged actin, diffusion, endocytosis, mitosis, plasma membrane, wave
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Journal Club: Female flies fight back against mate-guarding by males
After mating, males of many species take steps to keep their partners from having sex with other males. But some females may have evolved tricks to foil these measures. Researchers studying the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have discovered that when … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology | Journal Club
Tagged drosophila, pheromones, reproduction, sex
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Journal Club: Ancient fish moving to land used their tails as crutches
The evolution from fish living in water to vertebrates living on land was one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the animal kingdom. Now scientists using robot fish suggest that these ancient pioneers may have used their … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology | Engineering | Evolution
Tagged locomotion, mudskipper, robot, tail
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Selective vapor response of butterfly wings might have useful applications
The mesmerizing wings of the tropical butterfly Morpho often shimmer blue, green and violet. The iridescence of these wings doesn’t result from pigments or dyes, but from structures that reflect and scatter light waves, making them interfere with each other … Continue reading
Categories: Chemistry | Developmental Biology
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Egg cells regulate their own maturation chemicals
Mammalian egg cells are each surrounded by a blanket of cells known as the ovarian follicle. Scientists knew follicles released molecules that controlled the development of egg cells until they are ready for fertilization. Now researchers discover that egg cells … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology
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Seeking the origin of paired fins
Paired fins were a key novelty in the evolution of vertebrates, ultimately allowing paired appendages to arise that help lizards to scamper, birds to fly, and humans to stand upright and use tools in their hands. Now analysis of lamprey, … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology
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Primed for language–Babies able to separate sound from emotion
As any parent knows, a laughing baby is a happy one, a crying baby is sad. A baby’s coos, squeals, and growls, however, are the soundtrack of many occasions. They may be bubbly, upset, or feeling just about average. This … Continue reading