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illustration of neurons in blue and microglia in orange
Ancient Viral DNA Helps Mouse Brains Fight Infection
Mammals that give birth to live young may have evolved to make use of the remnants of viruses in their genomes to ward off pathogens, a study suggests. 
Ancient Viral DNA Helps Mouse Brains Fight Infection
Ancient Viral DNA Helps Mouse Brains Fight Infection

Mammals that give birth to live young may have evolved to make use of the remnants of viruses in their genomes to ward off pathogens, a study suggests. 

Mammals that give birth to live young may have evolved to make use of the remnants of viruses in their genomes to ward off pathogens, a study suggests. 

genetics & genomics, evolution

Two donkeys interacting at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark
Science Snapshot: Pin the Domestication on the Donkey
Lisa Winter | Sep 8, 2022 | 1 min read
A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.
Brown coral in shallow water branching upward with blue fish in front. 
Corals Upend Longstanding Idea About Genetic Inheritance
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Sep 1, 2022 | 4 min read
Most animals can’t pass on mutations that arise spontaneously throughout their lives—but Elkhorn corals can.
Adélie penguin family
Penguins Are Among the World’s Slowest-Evolving Birds: Study
Catherine Offord | Jul 19, 2022 | 2 min read
The findings mean that penguins may struggle to adapt under rapid climate change, researchers say.
Illustration of a DNA virus sneaking genetic material into a host’s nucleus
Infographic: Possible Mechanisms of Gene Transfer in Eukaryotes
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 5, 2022 | 6 min read
Genetic studies have made it clear that eukaryotic horizontal gene transfer can and does happen. Exactly how, though, remains speculative.
Cow image
Slideshow: Examples of Eukaryotic Horizontal Gene Transfer
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 5, 2022 | 4 min read
Horizontally transferred genes play significant roles in eukaryotic genomes
Landscape illustration
Horizontal Gene Transfer Happens More Often Than Anyone Thought
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 5, 2022 | 10+ min read
DNA passed to and from all kinds of organisms, even across kingdoms, has helped shape the tree of life, to a large and undisputed degree in microbes and also unexpectedly in multicellular fungi, plants, and animals.
Photo of Ana Marija Jakšic
Ana Marija Jakšić Shapes Fruit Fly Brains
Chloe Tenn | Apr 18, 2022 | 3 min read
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne evolutionary neurobiologist is using Drosophila to investigate how organisms adapt to novel environments.
Close up photo of a wing
Unearthing the Evolutionary Origins of Insect Wings
Jef Akst | Apr 4, 2022 | 6 min read
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.
Drosophila melanogaster on cactus leaf
Fruit Flies Evolve in Time with the Seasons: Study
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Mar 17, 2022 | 5 min read
Researchers find that evolution can operate on extraordinarily fast timescales.
a microscope image of a rotifer
Bacterial Enzyme Keeps Rotifers’ Transposable Elements in Check
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Mar 3, 2022 | 5 min read
Jumping genes in bdelloid rotifers are tamped down by DNA methylation performed by an enzyme pilfered from bacteria roughly 60 million years ago, a study finds.
Sunflowers, in visible spectrum on left half (yellow colors) and UV spectrum on right half (purple and white colors).
Sunflowers’ Bee-Attracting Ultraviolet Also Helps Retain Moisture
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 8, 2022 | 5 min read
The dual purposes of the plants’ hidden colors may conflict as the climate warms, authors of a new study suggest.
A semi-translucent hydra, complete with a body column, head, and multiple tentacles, is pictured in front of a gray background.
How Hydras Regenerate Decapitated Heads
Dan Robitzski | Dec 14, 2021 | 5 min read
Hydra vulgaris constantly replenish the cells in their heads and grow new ones to reproduce asexually. But gene expression analyses reveal that regenerating a head after an injury is a very different process.
Artist’s rendering of the protein synthesis process, in which a tRNA molecules carry amino acids to a ribosome that’s decoding a strand of mRNA.
Screen of 250,000 Species Reveals Tweaks to Genetic Code
Dan Robitzski | Nov 9, 2021 | 5 min read
A massive screen of bacterial and archaeal genomes revealed five previously unknown instances where an organism uses an alternate code to translate genetic blueprints into proteins.
a spiny mouse sits on a piece of wood holding a small morsel to its mouth
Spiny Mice Appear to Regenerate Damaged Kidneys
Dan Robitzski | Nov 3, 2021 | 5 min read
The mice, already known to regenerate skin, seem to avoid the tissue scarring that leads to organ failure in other animals.
Five morphs of Poecilia parae—from top: melanzona yellow, melanzona blue, melanzona red, parae, immaculata—and a female (bottom) of the same species
Fish Species’ Y Chromosomes Diverged Even Without Recombination
Catherine Offord | Sep 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers discover surprisingly high levels of genetic diversity among the colorful male morphs of a freshwater fish.
3 by 5 grid of black and white photos of indigenous Filipino portraits
Indigenous Filipino Group Has Highest Known Denisovan Ancestry
Annie Melchor | Aug 13, 2021 | 3 min read
Researchers found the relatively high proportion of DNA from a hominin cousin—nearly 5 percent—when they scanned more than 1,000 genomes from 118 distinct ethnic groups.
A microscopy image of several endometrial stromal fibroblasts
Gene Offers Clue to How Human Labor Starts
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Genes associated with preterm birth and protecting the fetus from the mother’s immune system appear to be regulated by HAND2.
a purple betta with white fins in a tank
My Daughter’s First Pet—the Next Big Model Organism?
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 15, 2021 | 10+ min read
Bettas were likely the first fish welcomed into human homes. Now, scientists are welcoming them into the lab to learn how genes dictate their appearance and behavior.
the molecular structure of interferon-alpha
Lots of Rapid Evolution in Interferon-Stimulated Genes: Study
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 1, 2021 | 2 min read
A comparison of interferon-related genes across 20 primate genomes reveals differences in the speed at which they evolve and new targets for antiviral discovery efforts.
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