Evolution news

Darwin's mockingbirds DNA research may help species recovery

Biology / Evolution

Nov 18, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- New research could help protect the future of a rare bird in the Galapagos Islands that was an inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, scientists report in a paper ...

Ancient penguin DNA raises doubts about accuracy of genetic dating techniques

Biology / Evolution

Nov 10, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (23) | 15

Penguins that died 44,000 years ago in Antarctica have provided extraordinary frozen DNA samples that challenge the accuracy of traditional genetic aging measurements, and suggest those approaches have been ...

What is the meaning of 'one'? Evolutionary biologists argue for new meaning of 'organismality'

Biology / Evolution

Nov 09, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (6) | 6

Rice University evolutionary biologists David Queller and Joan Strassmann argue in a new paper that high cooperation and low conflict between components, from the genetic level on up, give a living thing its "organismality," ...

Genes drive behaviour, but culture can select genes: study

Biology / Evolution

Oct 28, 2009 | 4 / 5 (2) | 0

Culture, not just genes, can drive evolutionary outcomes, according to a study released Wednesday that compares individualist and group-oriented societies across the globe.

Charles Darwin really did have advanced ideas about the origin of life

Biology / Evolution

Oct 27, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (16) | 24

When Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species 150 years ago, he deliberately avoided the subject of the origin of life. This, coupled with the mention of the 'Creator' in the last paragraph of the book, ...

Modern men are wimps, according to new book

Biology / Evolution

Oct 21, 2009 | 3.8 / 5 (40) | 40

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new book claims even modern athletes could not run as fast, jump as high, or have been nearly as strong as our predecessors.

Why sex with a partner is better (w/ Video)

Biology / Evolution

Oct 21, 2009 | 3.4 / 5 (18) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- OK, it takes two for human reproduction, and now it seems that plants and animals that can rely on either a partner or go alone by self-fertilization give their offspring a better chance for ...

The first men and women from the Canary Islands were Berbers

Biology / Evolution

Oct 21, 2009 | 3.5 / 5 (2) | 0

A team of Spanish and Portuguese researchers has carried out molecular genetic analysis of the Y chromosome (transmitted only by males) of the aboriginal population of the Canary Islands to determine their ...

Are humans still evolving? Absolutely, says new analysis of long-term survey of human health

Biology / Evolution

Oct 19, 2009 | 4 / 5 (21) | 36

Although advances in medical care have improved standards of living over time, humans aren't entirely sheltered from the forces of natural selection, a new study shows.

Time in a bottle: Scientists watch evolution unfold

Biology / Evolution

Oct 18, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (42) | 13

A 21-year Michigan State University experiment that distills the essence of evolution in laboratory flasks not only demonstrates natural selection at work, but could lead to biotechnology and medical research ...

Fish vision discovery makes waves in natural selection

Biology / Evolution

Oct 16, 2009 | 5 / 5 (8) | 1

Emory University researchers have identified the first fish known to have switched from ultraviolet vision to violet vision, or the ability to see blue light. The discovery is also the first example of an ...

Being a standout has its benefits, study shows

Biology / Evolution

Oct 15, 2009 | 3 / 5 (1) | 1

Standing out in a crowd is better than blending in, at least if you're a paper wasp in a colony where fights between nest-mates determine social status.

Trimming the Tree of Life

Biology / Evolution

Oct 08, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a sense, Antonis Rokas is an arborist: He is a member of a small cadre to scientists who are applying the growing power of genomics to untangle and correctly arrange the branches of the ...

Unnatural selection: Birth control pills may alter choice of partners

Biology / Evolution

Oct 07, 2009 | 4.1 / 5 (14) | 20

There is no doubt that modern contraception has enabled women to have unprecedented control over their own fertility. However, is it possible that the use of oral contraceptives is interfering with a woman's ability to choose, ...

Homebound Termites Answer 150-Year-Old Evolution Question

Biology / Evolution

Oct 05, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (6) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Staying at home may have given the very first termite youngsters the best opportunity to rule the colony when their parents were killed by their neighbors. This is according to new research ...

High mortality rates may explain small body size

Biology / Evolution

Oct 05, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

A new study suggests that high mortality rates in small-bodied people, commonly known as pygmies, may be part of the reason for their small stature. The study, by Jay Stock and Andrea Migliano, both of the University of Cambridge, ...

Using synthetic evolution to study the brain: Researchers model key part of neurons

Biology / Evolution

Oct 02, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

The human brain has evolved over millions of years to become a vast network of billions of neurons and synaptic connections. Understanding it is one of humankind's greatest pursuits.

In amoeba world, cheating doesn't pay

Biology / Evolution

Oct 01, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (6) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Cheaters may prosper in the short term, but over time they seem doomed to fail, at least in the microscopic world of amoebas where natural selection favors the noble.