All Ecology & Evolution articles
-
NewsYellowstone yields insights into how ancient microbes adapted to Great Oxidation Event
A new study highlights fresh knowledge of how ancient microorganisms adapted from a low-oxygen prehistoric environment to the one that exists today. It compared heat-loving organisms in two thermal features within Yellowstone National Park.
-
NewsScientists probe honeybee antiviral defense mechanisms
Scientists are investigating honeybee antiviral defense mechanisms with the goal of developing strategies to reduce honeybee colony deaths.
-
News New tool can detect fast-spreading SARS-COV-2 variants before they take off
By analysing millions of viral genome sequences from around the world, a team of scientists has uncovered the specific mutations that give SARS-CoV-2 a ‘turbo boost’ in its ability to spread.
-
NewsThe secret ‘sex lives’ of bacteria: Study challenges old ideas about how species form
Researchers discovered that microbial species form and maintain their distinct identities through unique way of genetic material exchange, especially via homologous recombination, apart from the common asexual reproductive method.
-
NewsViruses and the human cell: The evolutionary arms race
Researchers have discovered a unique genetic mechanism that provides cells with rapid and efficient protection against viruses. The findings could lead to the development of new therapeutics.
-
NewsMorpho-phylogenetic evidence reveals novel hyphomycetous fungi on medicinal plants in Southwestern China
A survey of saprobic fungi on medicinal plants in Southwestern China identified 39 hyphomycetous collections belonging to Dictyosporiaceae, Melanommataceae, and Stachybotryaceae, representing 19 distinct species.
-
NewsFloat like a jellyfish: New coral mobility mechanisms uncovered
A new study has investigated how the free-living mushroom coral Cycloseris cyclolites moves, navigates and responds to light in its natural environments.
-
NewsAncient viral DNA shapes early embryo development
Over half of our genomes consists of remnants of ancient viral DNA which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the ’dark side’ of the genome, researchers have now revealed the role of transposable elements in early embryo development.
-
NewsReading the genome and understanding evolution: Symbioses and gene transfer in leaf beetles
A new study shows how repeated horizontal gene transfer and the establishment of symbioses with bacteria enabled leaf beetles to rapidly adapt to a plant-based diet, contributing to their remarkable evolutionary success.
-
NewsResearchers uncover control mechanisms of polysaccharide utilization in gut bacterium
Polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) complexes enable bacteria to bind, break down, and import specific polysaccharides, contributing to successful gut colonization. A new study explores how PULs are regulated post-transcriptionally to adapt to environmental changes.
-
NewsChimpanzees are genetically adapted to local habitats and infections such as malaria
Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in their different forest and savannah habitats, some of which may protect against malaria, according to a study by an international team.
-
NewsTiny microbe colonies communicate to coordinate their behavior
A new study reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This cell communication offers insights into the early evolution of animal multicellularity and nervous systems.
-
NewsSome bacteria evolve like clockwork with the seasons
The longest natural metagenome time series ever collected, with microbes, reveals a startling evolutionary pattern on repeat.
-
NewsStudy reveals the hidden genomic evolution of brown algae - and how bacteria and viruses helped
A groundbreaking study has unveiled the evolutionary journey of brown algae through a comprehensive genomic analysis of 44 species, including key evolutionary milestones, such as the transition from unicellular to multicellular forms.
-
NewsFlagella-free survival: How bacteria evolve by shedding their ‘wheels’
New research reveals that bacteria can evolve by losing their flagella, the structures responsible for movement.
-
NewsSyphilis had its roots in the Americas, archaeological bone reveals
New research supports a root in the Americas for syphilis and its known relatives, and their introduction to Europe starting in the late 15th century is most consistent with the data, scientists say.
-
NewsCheese starter cultures yield insights into history of domestication of bacteria
A new study shows that the bacteria used to produce Gruyère, Emmental and Sbrinz cheese show signs of ancient domestication.
-
NewsGiant virus encodes key piece of protein-making machinery of cellular life
Researchers recently discovered that a virus, FloV-SA2, encodes one of the proteins needed to make ribosomes, the central engines in all cells that translate genetic information into proteins. This is the first eukaryotic virus found to encode such a protein.
-
NewsWhat a century-old grapevine reveals about a disease that plagues wine country
Researchers used bacterial DNA from a 120-year-old herbarium specimen to reconstruct the history of Pierce’s disease in California.
-
NewsWild bird's gut microbiome linked with its sexual ornamentation and body condition
A new study provides the first description of how a wild bird’s microbiome relates to its ornamentation and body condition. A Northern cardinal’s gut microbiome diversity can be predicted by its body condition, and the quality of its ornamentation – red plumage and beak.
