phylogenetics

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.

The glossy shell of some beetles, it has long been speculated, helps hide the insects from predators. A recent paper put the hypothesis to the test—and found it wanting.

A genomics study reveals the parentage of a long-mysterious creature called a kunga, the earliest-known hybrid animal bred by humans.

Studies The Scientist covered this year illustrate the expanding importance of genetic and genomic research in all aspects of life science, from ecology to medicine.

Shared features, such as thick, slimy skin and a throat filled with teeth, suggest that medusafishes are all related.

The first chromosome-level genome assembly for a ctenophore may allow scientists to finally resolve the roots of the animal family tree.

Phylogenomics data place the enigmatic plankton in the middle of the algal family tree, despite their apparent lack of plastids—an organelle characteristic of all other algae.

In a trio of studies, researchers follow up on a 40-year-old finding that certain bacteriophages replace adenine with so-called diaminopurine, perhaps to avoid host degradation.

A modeling study counters initial interpretations that the cluster began with someone who flew to Seattle in mid-January.

The inner ear cavity proves to be a useful tool for studying the evolutionary relationships among monkeys, apes, and humans.

Researchers analyzed more than 800 species.

Plants, fungi, and bacteria likely contributed to insect diversity.

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

The blue lagoons of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin provide a glimpse into the planet’s ancient past.

In plants ranging from liverworts to wheat, parasitic water molds build intracellular structures analogous to the nutrient-exchanging structures of symbiotic fungi.

Researchers identify a new species of Hemimastigophora protist, and suggest the group should be promoted from a phylum to a supra-kingdom.

Researchers are resurrecting proteins from millions of years ago to understand evolution and lay the groundwork for bioengineering custom molecules.

The ancient organisms appear to be more closely related to eukaryotes than previously appreciated.