The improbable origins of life on Earth
We do not yet know how, where, or why life first appeared on our planet. Part of the difficulty is that "life" has no strict, universally agreed-upon definition.
We do not yet know how, where, or why life first appeared on our planet. Part of the difficulty is that "life" has no strict, universally agreed-upon definition.
Astrobiology
Jan 29, 2024
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76
Cross-species hybridization is a more frequent phenomenon than previously thought. In the past, it happened with modern humans; it is estimated that our genome contains about 2% Neanderthal DNA.
Evolution
Jan 17, 2024
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21
An international team of researchers led by Dr. Ulrike Bauer from the University of Bristol investigated two tropical pitcher plant species separated by 4,000 km of open ocean: The Slender Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes gracilis) ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 5, 2024
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68
Significant evolutionary changes happen gradually as opposed to in dramatic "monster" steps, biologists have discovered, answering the long-debated question as to how game-changing innovations like flight, vision, and the ...
Evolution
Jan 4, 2024
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19
New research from the University of Warwick reveals that words like "sex" endure in our language in a "survival of the fittest" way, similar to natural selection.
Social Sciences
Jan 3, 2024
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104
A new research paper finds that genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may have contributed to the propensity of some people today to be "early risers," the sort of people who are more comfortable getting up and going ...
Evolution
Dec 14, 2023
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4517
The mystery of aging has fascinated people for millennia, with many willing to do anything to halt or reverse this process, because aging is typically associated with gradual deterioration of most body functions. While senescence ...
Evolution
Dec 11, 2023
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278
A University of Michigan-led study based on a review of genetic and health information from more than 276,000 people finds strong support for a decades-old evolutionary theory that sought to explain aging and senescence.
Evolution
Dec 8, 2023
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260
The complexity of living organisms is encoded within their genes, but where do these genes come from? Researchers at the University of Helsinki resolved outstanding questions around the origin of small regulatory genes, and ...
Evolution
Dec 8, 2023
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2299
In many parts of Africa, humans cooperate with a species of wax-eating bird called the greater honeyguide, Indicator indicator, which leads them to wild bees' nests with a chattering call. By using specialized sounds to communicate ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 7, 2023
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26