evolutionary ecology

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. 

The Scientist spoke with Ohio State University microbiologist Matthew Sullivan about a recent expedition that identified thousands of RNA viruses from water samples and cataloged them into novel phylogenic groups.

Researchers find that evolution can operate on extraordinarily fast timescales.

The decrease in growth appears to be associated with increasing water temperatures, affecting animals throughout the marine food web.

The Scientist interviews evolutionary biologist Carles Vilà about how a large genomic inversion detected in common quail affects the birds’ physical characteristics and migratory behaviors.

The Scientist speaks with organismal biologist Xavier Glaudas about possible reasons for his recent finding that male Montpellier snakes cannibalize female conspecifics.

The genome sequences of 51 giraffes from all over Africa contribute to the latest attempt in an ongoing pursuit to pin down a species number.

As shelter-in-place orders quieted the city of San Francisco, its sparrow population developed softer, sexier songs.

A study finds two species of guenon monkeys in Tanzania have been mating and producing fertile offspring for generations.

Research suggests that the invasive, all-female Procambarus virginalis originated in a German aquarium back in the 1990s.

In an unusual evolutionary twist, local stick spiders have come up with an almost identical repertoire of color morphs in multiple locations.

Poecilia formosa, an all-female fish species, has a surprisingly robust genome. 

This discovery closes a 170-million-year gap in the fossil record.

Biologists’ walk in the woods sparks the creation of a masterful fruit fly field guide.