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ecology, evolution

Second Chance for Lost Galapagos Tortoises?
Bob Grant | Sep 14, 2017 | 2 min read
Researchers are trying to recreate an extinct species of the lumbering reptiles by breeding closely related species that contain traces of the lost lineage’s DNA.
Study: Fishing Induces Gene Expression Changes
Jef Akst | May 18, 2017 | 2 min read
Harvesting lab-raised zebrafish based on their size led to differences in the activity of more than 4,000 genes, as well as changes in allele frequencies of those genes, in the fish that remained.
Evolution’s Quick Pace Affects Ecosystem Dynamics
Jef Akst | May 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
From fish harvests to cottonwood forests, organisms display evidence that species change can occur on timescales that can influence ecological processes.
Infographic: Watching Evolution in Real Time
Jef Akst | Apr 30, 2017 | 1 min read
Guppies transplanted between different communities in Trinidadian streams evolved in response to changes in predation threat in just a few generations.
Another Explanation for Africa’s Enigmatic Fairy Circles
Diana Kwon | Jan 19, 2017 | 1 min read
Using simulations, scientists report that a mixture of termites and plant competition may be responsible for the strange patterns of earth surrounded by plants in the Namib desert. 
Caribbean Anoles Function as Model Organisms for Evolutionary Dynamics
Amber Dance | Jan 1, 2017 | 4 min read
The small lizards adapted to unique niches among dozens of isles.
Man and Bird Chat While Honey Hunting
Bob Grant | Jul 25, 2016 | 2 min read
A study suggests that humans and avians in sub-Saharan Africa communicate to find and mutually benefit from the sweet booty.
Hot Off the Presses
Bob Grant | Jul 1, 2016 | 3 min read
The Scientist reviews Serendipity, Complexity, The Human Superorgasism, and Love and Ruin
Genome Digest
Catherine Offord | May 17, 2016 | 6 min read
What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species’ genomes
 
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | May 1, 2016 | 4 min read
Sorting the Beef from the Bull, Cheats and Deceits, A Sea of Glass, and Following the Wild Bees
Silent Canopies
Jef Akst | May 1, 2016 | 4 min read
A spate of howler monkey deaths in Nicaragua, Panama, and Ecuador has researchers scrambling to identify the cause.
Monkey See, Monkey Die
The Scientist | Apr 30, 2016 | 1 min read
What's killing howler monkeys in the jungles of Central America?
Jason Holliday: Tree Tracker
Jef Akst | Feb 1, 2016 | 3 min read
Associate Professor, Virginia Tech, Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. Age: 37
Owl Be Darned
The Scientist | Dec 4, 2015 | 1 min read
Researchers studying city-dwelling birds are learning about which animals are more suited to urban life.
Urban Owl-Fitters
Jef Akst | Dec 1, 2015 | 4 min read
How birds with an innate propensity for living among humans are establishing populations in cities
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | Mar 1, 2015 | 3 min read
Evolving Ourselves, The Man Who Touched His Own Heart, Bats, and The Invaders
Butterfly Eyespots Deflect Predation
Bob Grant | Nov 12, 2014 | 2 min read
Researchers show that patterned coloration can be an effective means of distracting predators from vital body parts.
Bird Diversity Drops From Forests to Farms
Ruth Williams | Sep 11, 2014 | 2 min read
Farms support less phylogenetically diverse bird populations than forests, but some farms are better than others.
Beyond the Blueprint
Jennifer A. Schweitzer, Mark A. Genung, and Joseph K. Bailey | Sep 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
In addition to serving as a set of instructions to build an individual, the genome can influence neighboring organisms and, potentially, entire ecosystems.
Super Sniffers?
Jyoti Madhusoodanan | Jul 24, 2014 | 2 min read
African elephants have more genes for olfactory receptors than dogs or humans, a study shows. 
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