Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Bacteria-virus arms race provides rare window into rapid and complex evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Rather than a slow, gradual process as Darwin envisioned, biologists can now see how evolutionary changes unfold on much more accelerated timescales. Using an accelerated arms race between bacteria and viruses, researchers are documenting rapid evolutionary processes in simple laboratory flasks in only three weeks.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology
Published

Poison dart frogs: Personality determines reproductive strategies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Unlike their relatives, individuals of the poison frog Allobates femoralis are not poisonous but are captivating due to their different behavioral profiles: They successfully reproduce with different strategies depending on whether they are bold, aggressive or explorative. In addition, certain character traits are already present in this species at the tadpole stage.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Yeast with an over half synthetic genome is created in the lab      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have combined over seven synthetic chromosomes that were made in the lab into a single yeast cell, resulting in a strain with more than 50% synthetic DNA that survives and replicates similarly to wild yeast strains. A global consortium is working to develop the first synthetic eukaryote genome from scratch. The team has now synthesized and debugged all sixteen yeast chromosomes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
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Scientists take major step towards completing the world's first synthetic yeast      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of Scientists has completed construction of a synthetic chromosome as part of a major international project to build the world's first synthetic yeast genome. The work represents completion of one of the 16 chromosomes of the yeast genome, which is part of the biggest project ever in synthetic biology; the international synthetic yeast genome collaboration. The collaboration, known as 'Sc2.0' has been a 15-year project involving teams from around the world (UK, US, China, Singapore, UK, France and Australia), working together to make synthetic versions of all of yeast's chromosomes. Alongside this paper, another 9 publications are also released today from other teams describing their synthetic chromosomes. The final completion of the genome project -- the largest synthetic genome ever -- is expected next year.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Nature
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Cracking the code: Genome sequencing reveals why songbirds are larger in colder climates      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have unlocked the genetic basis underlying the remarkable variation in body size observed in song sparrows, one of North America's most familiar and beloved songbirds. This discovery also provides insights into this species' capacity to adapt to the challenges of climate change. The study used genomic sequencing to successfully pinpoint eight genetic variants, or DNA mutations, largely responsible for the nearly threefold difference in body size observed across the song sparrow range from Mexico to Alaska. 

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry
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Video technology could transform how scientists monitor changes in species evolution and development      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research combines microscope and video technology to analyze how different species develop, and how changes in the timings of any developments can be tracked. A detailed analysis of the Energy Proxy Traits (EPTs) that result from these processes has provided researchers with the first evidence that traditionally measured timings of developmental events are associated with far broader changes to the full set of an embryo's observable characteristics.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Geoscience: Geography Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Fossils tell tale of last primate to inhabit North America before humans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Paleontologists have shed light on the long-standing saga of Ekgmowechashala, based on fossil teeth and jaws found in both Nebraska and China. Ekgmowechashala is the last primate found in the fossil record before humans. 

Anthropology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals
Published

New secrets about cat evolution revealed      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

By comparing genomes of several cat species, the project has helped researchers understand why cat genomes tend to have fewer complex genetic variations (such as rearrangements of DNA segments) than other mammal groups, like primates. It also revealed new insights into which parts of cat DNA are most likely to evolve rapidly and how they play a role in species differentiation.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Animals
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Research outlines how sex differences have evolved      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have shown that sex differences in animals vary dramatically across species, organs and developmental stages, and evolve quickly at the gene level but slowly at the cell type level.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
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Adult coral can handle more heat and keep growing thanks to heat-evolved symbionts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Adult fragments of a coral species can better tolerate bleaching and recover faster when treated with tougher heat-evolved symbionts, new research indicates. The study also found that treatment with the heat-evolved symbionts did not compromise the coral's ability to grow. This differs from previous studies on Great Barrier Reef corals which found that naturally heat tolerant symbionts could enhance heat resistance in adult corals, but at a cost to its growth.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Where is a sea star's head? Maybe just about everywhere      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study that combines genetic and molecular techniques helps solve the riddle of sea star (commonly called starfish) body plans, and how sea stars start life with bilateral body symmetry -- just like humans -- but grow up to be adults with fivefold 'pentaradial' symmetry.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

How the fish got its shoulder      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new analysis of the bones and muscles in ancient fish gives new clues about how the shoulder evolved in animals -- including us.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
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New Nijmegen method reveals hidden genetic variations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Many hidden genetic variations can be detected with Chameleolyser, a new method. The information is already yielding new patient diagnoses and may also lead to the discovery of as yet unknown disease genes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals
Published

Evolutionary chance made this bat a specialist hunter      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

It is generally believed that, for millions of years, bats and the insects they hunt at night have adapted to each other in an evolutionary arms race to become better at finding or avoiding each other. Now, a new study shows that this may not be the case at all.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Genetic methods enable the use of fossil lipids as biomarkers for oxygen-producing primordial bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cyanobacteria are a key species in Earth's history, as they introduced atmospheric oxygen for the first time. The analysis of their evolution therefore provides important insights into the formation of modern aerobic ecosystems. For a long time, a certain type of fossil lipid, so-called 2-methylhopanes, was considered to be an important biomarker for Cyanobacteria in sediments, some of which are hundreds of millions of years old. However, this came into doubt when it turned out that not only Cyanobacteria but also Alphaproteobacteria are genetically capable of producing these lipids.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals
Published

Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Noctilionoid bat species evolved wildly different faces as they adapted to exploit diverse food sources -- including insects, fruit, nectar, blood and fish. New research shows that those adaptations include dramatic, but also consistent, modifications to tooth number, size, shape and position.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Discovery of three novel minorisa species, the smallest predatory marine picoplankton      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made a significant discovery by identifying and characterizing three novel species within the Minorisa genus of marine picoplankton. Before this study, only one species of Minorisa was recognized. This finding reveals previously unseen diversity of Minorisa, thereby enhancing species identification and our understanding of its ecological functions in marine ecosystems.