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A monogenean flatworm
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past
New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past

New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.

New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.

evolutionary biology, ecology

Microscopy image of the cnidarian <em>Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus&nbsp;</em>with cell nuclei stained blue and oocytes stained yellow
Ancient Immunoglobulin Genes Help Cnidarians Decide to Fight or Fuse
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Oct 11, 2022 | 4 min read
Immunoglobulin genes might have evolved much earlier than previously expected, perhaps even in the common ancestor of Cnidarians and Bilateria, a study suggests.
bat flying in front of tan building
Fruit Bats Echolocate During the Day Despite Having Great Vision
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 20, 2022 | 4 min read
Contrary to what researchers had assumed, Egyptian fruit bats don’t rely solely on sight to orient themselves as they drink and forage for food in daylight. 
David Wake is facing the camera, smiling.
Salamander Expert David Wake Dies at 84
Lisa Winter | May 21, 2021 | 3 min read
Throughout his career, the University of California, Berkeley, herpetologist named 144 species of salamanders.
Ocean Sunfish Could Offer Clues to the “Rise of Slime”
Ashley Yeager | Apr 1, 2018 | 4 min read
A controversial hypothesis suggests that jellyfish may one day rule the oceans, and Mola mola may tell us if we are approaching a tipping point.
Hawaiian Spiders on Different Islands Evolved Same Disguise in Parallel
Catherine Offord | Mar 8, 2018 | 2 min read
In an unusual evolutionary twist, local stick spiders have come up with an almost identical repertoire of color morphs in multiple locations.
Amazonian Fish Genome Challenges Long-Held Assumptions About Asexual Reproduction
Jim Daley | Feb 14, 2018 | 2 min read
Poecilia formosa, an all-female fish species, has a surprisingly robust genome. 
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.
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.
Hot Off the Presses
Bob Grant | Jul 1, 2016 | 3 min read
The Scientist reviews Serendipity, Complexity, The Human Superorgasism, and Love and Ruin
Population Ecologist Dies
Jef Akst | May 18, 2016 | 1 min read
Ilkka Hanski of the University of Helsinki has passed away at age 63.
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
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
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.
Finch-Powered Fumigation
Rina Shaikh-Lesko | May 7, 2014 | 2 min read
Darwin’s finches use pesticide-treated cotton to line their nests and unwittingly protect themselves against parasitic fly larvae.
Where the Wild Things Were
Daniel Cossins | May 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
Conservationists are reintroducing large animals to areas they once roamed, providing ecologists with the chance to assess whether such “rewilding” efforts can restore lost ecosystems.
A Wilder Europe
Daniel Cossins | Apr 30, 2014 | 1 min read
An organization hopes to restore natural ecological processes by reintroducing large herbivores to the continent.
Week in Review: January 20–24
Tracy Vence | Jan 23, 2014 | 3 min read
Mistimed sleep disrupts human transcriptome; canine tumor genome; de novo Drosophila genes; UVA light lowers blood pressure; aquatic microfauna fight frog-killing fungus
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