In the 20th century, animals such as mules and ligers that had parents of different species were considered biological flukes, but genetic sequencing is beginning to unravel the critical role of hybridization in evolution.
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.
Interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes have further-reaching effects on physiological function, adaptation, and speciation than previously appreciated.
Standard taxonomy lumps together bird species that should be separate, a new study suggests, raising the total number of estimated species from 9,000 to 18,000.
The International Institute for Species Exploration announces its picks of novel species discovered in the past year, including a carnivorous mammal, a tiny shrimp, and a fungus.
Tim Rogers, Alan J. McKane, Axel G. Rossberg | Nov 1, 2013
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.