Evolution

Edentulism: Tooth Loss In Birds Occurred About 116 Million Years Ago

 Edentulism, the absence of teeth, has evolved on multiple occasions within vertebrates including birds, turtles, and a few groups of mammals such as anteaters, baleen whales and pangolins, but where early birds are concerned, the fossil record is fragment ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 26 2014 - 9:00am

The Selfish Gene Is So 1970s- Evolution Is Driven By The Selfish Ribosome, Says Paper

Since the discovery of how DNA encodes genetic information, evolutionary biology has focused on genes. One popular hypothesis- the "selfish gene" theory- states that cells and organisms exist simply as packages to protect and transmit genes. The ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 7 2015 - 11:51am

Forget The Selfish Gene, Ribosomes Are The Missing Link

Ribosomes: squiggly and yummy. crobin, CC BY By Robert Root-Bernstein, Michigan State University and Meredith Root-Bernstein, Aarhus University ...

Article - The Conversation - Jan 7 2015 - 12:30pm

Geckos Without Sticky Feet Seem To Evolve Faster

A study using geckos has found that evolution can downgrade or entirely remove adaptations that have been previously acquired, giving the species new survival advantages.  ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 10 2015 - 11:18am

In Norway, Being Born In A Year With Sunshine Meant Higher Mortality

Northern Europeans pride themselves on being tougher than the rest of Europe when it comes to enduring weather. While most people are more likely to die in bad weather, a new paper finds that Norwegian kids were more likely to die when the weather was good ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 9 2015 - 11:39am

In Natural Selection, Why Doesn't One Color Win Out Over Others?

In many species of plants and animals, individuals from the same population often come in different color variants. It's always been that way but why one color doesn't eventually replace the others through natural selection is something of an evo ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 9 2015 - 7:30pm

On The Evolution Of Immune Response Genes In Plants

A recently published study offers new clues about the evolution of the immune system in European populations of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the underlying genetic mechanisms associated with immunity.  The species Arabidopsis thaliana, which is natur ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 20 2015 - 2:00pm

A Strange Tale Of Fish Eye Evolution

Fish vision just got more complex. Janderk, CC BY-SA By William Feeney, University of Cambridge ...

Article - The Conversation - Jan 23 2015 - 11:27am

Happy Darwin Day: Eotaria Crypta Fossil Ends 5-Million-Year 'Ghost Lineage'

A fossil discovery has provided a missing link that helps to resolve a more than 5-million-year gap in fur seal and sea lion evolutionary history. This new genus and species of fur seal has been called Eotaria crypta. Eotaria means 'dawn sea lion' ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 12 2015 - 7:00am

Child Rearing Is Unequal Between The Sexes- And That Is Due To Evolution

Caring for offspring is unequal between the sexes in many animal species and a new study suggests evolution is the culprit. Making babies is one of the fundamental conflicts of interest between the sexes. Care by either partner is beneficial to both partne ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 17 2015 - 8:07pm