evolutionary biology, genetics & genomics

What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species’ genomes

Large-scale sequencing effort confirms several mutations that confer lactase persistence in Africans, while haplotype analysis sheds light on the trait’s origins.

The gene behind a butterfly’s mimicry; the evolution of adipose fins; bacteria and bowel cancer; plants lacking plastid genomes

Stimulus-triggered pluripotency; antioxidants speed lung tumor growth; the importance of seminal vesicles; how a plant pathogen jumps hosts

Mistimed sleep disrupts human transcriptome; canine tumor genome; de novo Drosophila genes; UVA light lowers blood pressure; aquatic microfauna fight frog-killing fungus

An analysis of the transcriptomes of several fruit fly strains reveals dozens of possible de novo genes in each.

Debating the origins of placental mammals; H. pylori-human coevolution; ant, bee, and wasp queens emit similar pheromones; profiling protein expression in single cancer cells

Bacterial genes aid tubeworm settling; pigmentation of ancient reptiles; nascent neurons and vertebrate development; exploring simple synapses; slug-inspired surgical glue

The Scientist commemorates prize-winning life scientists and remembers notable researchers who died this year.

The genome of Amborella trichopoda—the sister species of all flowering plants—provides clues about this group’s rise to power.

Animal family tree rearranged; how E. coli evades the immune system; pharmacological chaperones and misfolded proteins

Oldest hominin DNA sequence; visualizing dyslexia; testing CRISPR; cancer and autoimmunity

Chilly mice develop more tumors; gut bacteria aid cancer treatment; two Y chromosome genes sufficient for assisted reproduction; HIV’s “invisibility cloak”

Two genes from the Y chromosome are sufficient to generate male mice capable of fathering healthy offspring via an assisted reproductive technique.

Neuronal DNA variation; male hormone sparks mosquito egg production; pulvinar neurons aid primate snake detection; spiders and cryptic female choice

Biologists have struggled for centuries to properly define what constitutes a “species.” They may have been asking the wrong question—many smaller organisms might not form species at all.

PubMed launches Commons; measuring HIV’s latent reservoir; immune-related pathway variation in genome, microbiome; rapamycin and flu vaccines; grasshopper mice resistant to pain

More than 320,000 mammalian viruses lurk; evolution of echolocation in bats and dolphins; accumulation of mutations in drug-resistant tuberculosis; senior researchers reluctant to retire

Meet some of the people featured in the September 2013 issue of The Scientist.