Most proteins are thought to fold into a single active shape. But the human immune protein XCL1 is a rare breed that can switch back and forth between two different structures, each with its own function. A recent study in … Continue reading
Journal Club
Highlighting recently published papers selected by Academy members
Category Archives: Evolution
Smaller salamander species associated with smaller genomes
The world’s tiniest salamanders are so small that some body parts appear to get short shrift. Those in the genus Thorius, for example, have heads that are “mind bogglingly small, maybe half the size of a pencil eraser,” says herpetologist … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology | Evolution | Genetics | Journal Club | Physiology
Tagged cells, dinosaur, evolution, frog, genome, phylogenetic tree, retrotransposon, salamander
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Model suggests how evolution shapes ecological networks among species
The natural world is filled with networks. Predator and prey, flower and pollinator—each interacting pair forms a link in a networked community of organisms. Now, a French research team has developed a model that explores how evolution may help shape … Continue reading
Categories: Animal Behavior | Ecology | Evolution | Journal Club | Mathematics
Tagged community, ecological networks, model, mutualism, predator, prey
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Insects, not just wind, offer an ancient mechanism of orchid seed dispersal
On Yakushima Island, at the southern tip of Japan, an orchid employs a very unusual strategy to disperse its seeds. Crickets visit the orchid at night, eat its fruits, and defecate the seeds in the vicinity. The discovery, reported recently … Continue reading
Seasonality shapes coevolution of parasites and hosts
Parasites and their hosts coevolve in an arms race influenced by environmental conditions. Seasonal change, for example, can shape the course of evolution, but precisely how has been something of a mystery. A recent study used lab experiments and mathematical … Continue reading
Categories: Ecology | Evolution | Journal Club | Mathematics
Tagged bacteriophage, coevolution, host, parasite, phage, pseudomonas
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Snake venom evolved in fits and spurts
The cocktail of toxins in snake venom experienced constant change with pulses of rapid evolution over the last 60 million years, according to a recent study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Venom, the researchers report, has changed … Continue reading
Categories: Evolution | Genetics | Journal Club
Tagged diversification, phylogenetics, RNA expression, snake, speciation, toxin, venom
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Molecular evidence supports Darwin’s adaptationist view, informing the debate over what drives evolution
Myriad genetic differences distinguish the genomes of two species. What fraction of those differences arises by positive natural selection versus random genetic drift is a central question and topic of debate in evolutionary biology. A recent study in Nature Ecology … Continue reading
Categories: Evolution | Genetics
Tagged adaptation, natural selection, negative selection, neutral theory of evolution, positive selection
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Cooperative defense against disease may have helped insects evolve complex societies
The lifestyles of insects, such as bees and wasps, range from simple solitary arrangements to more recently evolved, highly complex family social structures. One major factor that allowed social complexity to evolve may have been insects’ ability to defend their … Continue reading
Categories: Ecology | Evolution | Journal Club
Tagged ambrosia beetle, eusociality, insects, social insects
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Models shift blame for Neanderthal extinction away from modern humans
Neanderthals vanished about 40,000 years ago, but the reasons for their demise remain shrouded in mystery and a source of debate among archaeologists. The timing coincides with the arrival of modern humans in Europe, which has led some researchers to … Continue reading
Categories: Anthropology | Ecology | Evolution | Genetics | Journal Club | Population Biology
Tagged allele, breeding, evolution, extinction, Homo sapien, modern human, Neanderthal, population size
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Common features of domestic animals suggest caveats to evolutionary theory
White patches on fur coats, floppy ears, and curly tails are some of the traits frequently seen in domesticated animals. A group of researchers has now put forth a theory as to why these traits so often evolve in association … Continue reading
Categories: Agriculture | Developmental Biology | Evolution | Genetics | Journal Club
Tagged developmental bias, domesticated animals, domestication syndrome, evolution, neural crest cells
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