Revealing the evolutionary origin of genomic imprinting 

Some of our genes can be expressed or silenced depending on whether we inherited them from our mother or our father. The mechanism behind this phenomenon, known as genomic imprinting, is determined by DNA modifications during ...

Similar genetic elements underlie vocal learning in mammals

The vocalizations of humans, bats, whales, seals and songbirds vastly differ from each other. Humans and birds, for example, are separated by some 300 million years of evolution. But scientists studying how these animals ...

Researchers develop model to study neglected tropical diseases

Neglected tropical diseases affect more than 1 billion people–one-sixth of the world's population. Despite their devastating health consequences, these diseases, which occur in some of the world's poorest and most isolated ...

Virus-like transposons cross the species barrier, study shows

Scientists have known for decades that genes can be transferred from one species to another, both in animals and plants. However, the mechanism of how such an unlikely event occurs remained unknown. Now, researchers from ...

A not-so-selfish 'genetic parasite' helps to preserve fertility

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences are essential parts of many species' genomes. The highly repetitive nature of these DNA sequences makes them susceptible to shrinkage over time—and if they shrink too much, cells die. If rDNA ...

A multiomics approach provides insights into flu severity

Have you ever wondered why some people might get sicker than others, even when they catch the same virus? It is not yet clear why this is. Viral factors (such as differences in the strain of a virus) play a role in this variability, ...

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