evolution

Distantly related, lookalike Heliconius species arrive at the same appearance using the same few genes, but regulated differently, according to recent studies.

The 12-million-year-old bones of a previously unknown species named Danuvius guggenmosi challenge the prevailing view about when and where our ancestors first started walking upright.

A mixture of chemicals induces reactions reminiscent of life on pyrite.

From regulating each other’s gene expression to encoding different parts of the same proteins, the two genome types in every eukaryotic cell are far from independent.

The Yale biologist says that organisms’ behavior, physiology, and morphology engage in a constant “evolutionary dance.”

Interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes have further-reaching effects on physiological function, adaptation, and speciation than previously appreciated.

The site, Corral Bluffs in Colorado, also reveals how plants evolved and how ecosystems rebounded after the asteroid impact.

The evolution of different ways of flying in birds affected wing range of motion, but not wing shape.

The big cats show signs of inbreeding despite conservation efforts to diversify their populations.

The skull changed shape in different ways than the brain during evolution, according to a new comparative study.

The discovery of ancient clades of brittle stars at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean adds to concerns that commercial exploitation of the area could destroy numerous taxa before they’ve even been identified.

The first phylogenomic tree of these insects shows their diversification occurred after they split into Old and New World groups.

Small RNAs called piRNAs provide a first line of defense against the viruses.

The finding that a bacterium within a bacterium within an animal cell cooperates with the host on a biosynthetic pathway suggests the endosymbiont is, practically speaking, an organelle.

Genetically engineered Drosophila withstand toxins common in monarch butterflies’ diet.

It could be a throwback to a mechanism that induces ovulation during sex, researchers propose, but not everyone thinks the results can be extrapolated to people.

DNA analysis of a bizarre, 30-year-old whale skull serves as a reminder of the secrets that museum specimens keep about the natural world.

Scientists uncover a potential reason why redder house finches have better health.

Researchers recovered eight species from the salty, alkaline environment—increasing the known biodiversity of animals in the California lake five-fold.

The same study also finds there are three species of Electrophorus, rather than one.