A study employing CRISPR/Cas9 to explore the evolutionary beginnings of some giant viruses finds evidence their large genomes arose from gene duplications.
A handful of new studies moves the needle toward a consensus on the long-disputed question of whether insect wings evolved from legs or from the body wall, but the devil is in the details.
Studies The Scientist covered this year illustrate the expanding importance of genetic and genomic research in all aspects of life science, from ecology to medicine.