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Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Computer Science: Encryption
Published Study on lamprey embryos sheds light on the evolutionary origin of vertebrate head
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have investigated lamprey embryos using cutting-edge microscopic techniques to reveal interesting insights about vertebrate head evolution, clarifying an unresolved mystery in basic science.
Published Largest diversity study of 'magic mushrooms' investigates the evolution of psychoactive psilocybin production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The genomic analysis of 52 Psilocybe specimens includes 39 species that have never been sequenced. Psilocybe arose much earlier than previously thought -- about 65 million years ago -- and the authors found that psilocybin was first synthesized in mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe. Their analysis revealed two distinct gene orders within the gene cluster that produces psilocybin. The two gene patterns correspond to an ancient split in the genus, suggesting two independent acquisitions of psilocybin in its evolutionary history. The study is the first to reveal such a strong evolutionary pattern within the gene sequences underpinning the psychoactive proteins synthesis.
Published How did the bushpig cross the strait? A great puzzle in African mammal biogeography solved by genomics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Africa has a huge diversity of large mammals, but their evolutionary relationships and movement across the continent over time often remain a mystery. A new scientific study sheds light on longstanding questions about the interplay between evolution and geography in one of these mammals, namely the iconic African bushpig, and helps settle a major question regarding prehistoric human activities shaping biodiversity patterns in Africa.
Published Evolution is not as random as previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease and climate change. The study challenges the long-standing belief about the unpredictability of evolution, and has found that the evolutionary trajectory of a genome may be influenced by its evolutionary history, rather than determined by numerous factors and historical accidents.
Published The evolution of photosynthesis better documented thanks to the discovery of the oldest thylakoids in fossil cyanobacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified microstructures in fossil cells that are 1.75 billion years old. These structures, called thylakoid membranes, are the oldest ever discovered. They push back the fossil record of thylakoids by 1.2 billion years and provide new information on the evolution of cyanobacteria which played a crucial role in the accumulation of oxygen on the early Earth.
Published The snail or the egg?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Animals reproduce in one of two distinct ways: egg-laying or live birth. By studying an evolutionarily recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in a marine snail, collaborative research has shed new light on the genetic changes that allow organisms to make the switch.
Published Nematode proteins shed light on infertility
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the synaptonemal complex in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis.
Published Early primates likely lived in pairs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Primate social organization is more flexible than previously assumed. According to a new study, the first primates probably lived in pairs, while only around 15 percent of individuals were solitary.
Published How jellyfish regenerate functional tentacles in days
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source At about the size of a pinkie nail, the jellyfish species Cladonema can regenerate an amputated tentacle in two to three days -- but how? Regenerating functional tissue across species, including salamanders and insects, relies on the ability to form a blastema, a clump of undifferentiated cells that can repair damage and grow into the missing appendage. Jellyfish, along with other cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones, exhibit high regeneration abilities, but how they form the critical blastema has remained a mystery until now.
Published Unveiling ancient secrets: 3D preservation of trilobite soft tissues sheds light on convergent evolution of defensive enrollment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers describe unusual trilobite fossils prepared as thin sections showing the 3D soft tissues during enrollment. The study reveals the soft undersides of enrolled trilobites and the evolutionary mechanism that allows arthropods to enroll their bodies for protection from predators and adverse environmental conditions.
Published New larks revealed in Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have studied the relationships between five closely related species of larks that occur in Africa south of the Sahara. Two of these have not been observed for decades, so the researchers analyzed DNA from museum specimens, some of which were over 100 years old.
Published The evolutionary timeline of diminished boric acid and urea transportation in aquaporin 10
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Aquaporin (Aqp) 10 water channels in humans allow the free passage of water, glycerol, urea, and boric acid across cells. However, Aqp10.2b in pufferfishes allows only the passage of water and glycerol and not urea and boric acid. Researchers sought to understand the evolutionary timeline that resulted in the variable substrate selection mechanisms among Aqp10s. Their results indicate that Aqp10.2 in ray-finned fishes may have reduced or lost urea and boric acid permeabilities through evolution.
Published Genetic diversity of wild north American grapes mapped
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wild North American grapes are now less of a mystery after researchers decoded and catalogued the genetic diversity of nine species of this valuable wine crop.
Published Genetics of host plants determine what microorganisms they attract
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plants often develop communities with microorganisms in their roots, which influences plant health and development. Although the recruitment of these microbes is dictated by several factors, it is unclear whether the genetic variation in the host plants plays a role.
Published Ancient DNA reveals how a chicken virus evolved to become more deadly
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists led by geneticists and disease biologists has used ancient DNA to trace the evolution of Marek's Disease Virus (MDV). This global pathogen causes fatal infections in unvaccinated chickens and costs the poultry industry over $1 billion per year. The findings show how viruses evolve to become more virulent and could lead to the development of better ways to treat viral infections.
Published Can you change a chicken into a frog, a fish or a chameleon?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a theoretical framework that can reproduce and predict the patterns associated with gastrulation in a chicken embryo.
Published AI provides more accurate analysis of prehistoric and modern animals, painting picture of ancient world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study of the remains of prehistoric and modern African antelopes found that AI technology accurately identified animals more than 90% of the time compared to humans, who had much lower accuracy rates depending on the expert.
Published New understanding of ancient genetic parasite may spur medical breakthroughs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have determined the structure of the most common material in our genomes. New treatments for autoimmune diseases, cancer and neurodegeneration may follow.
Published Enzymes can't tell artificial DNA from the real thing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have come one step closer to unlocking the potential of synthetic DNA, which could help scientists develop never-before-seen proteins in the lab.
Published Cell types in the eye have ancient evolutionary origins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a comparative analysis across vertebrates of the many cell types in the retina -- mice alone have 130 types -- researchers concluded that most cell types have an ancient evolutionary history. Their remarkable conservation across species suggests that the retina of the last common ancestor of all mammals, which roamed the earth some 200 million year ago, must have had a complexity rivaling the retina of modern mammals.