Tag: biology
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Researching. Saying too much. Saying nothing…
New research explains how a 'stop-start' pattern of evolution, governed by environmental change, could explain why crocodiles have changed so little since the age of the dinosaurs. (1) Does the species change? Due to evolution. Does it stay stable? Due to evolution. Beware of how broad is what you say. You might end up in…
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New genes! New inventions! So?! (Me!)
Thanks to the marine worm Platynereis dumerilii, an animal whose genes have evolved very slowly, scientists have shown that while haemoglobin appeared independently in several species, it actually descends from a single gene transmitted to all by their last common ancestor. (1) Things discovered. Only because they would anyway be. By someone else. In the…
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Being human… Not being one…
With only 1 percent difference, the human and chimpanzee protein-coding genomes are remarkably similar. Understanding the biological features that make us human is part of a fascinating and intensely debated line of research. Researchers have developed a new approach to pinpoint adaptive human-specific changes in the way genes are regulated in the brain. (1) But…
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Alone. Evolving. Crying…
North America's beloved Monarch butterflies are known for their annual, multi-generation migrations in which individual insects can fly for thousands of miles. But Monarchs have also settled in some locations where their favorite food plants grow year round, so they no longer need to migrate. A new study of specimens collected over the last two…
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Life. Out of nothing.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, generating energy that supports life. A giant molecular proton pump, called complex I, is crucial: It sets in motion a chain of reactions, creating a proton gradient that powers the generation of ATP, the cell's fuel. Scientists have solved the mystery of how complex I works: Conformational changes…
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