Evolution News - SciTechDaily

UV Light Reveals Ancient Secrets of Dinosaur Feather Evolution

University College Cork — Tue, 21 May 2024 15:00:38 +0000

A study by University College Cork reveals that the feathered dinosaur Psittacosaurus also had reptilian-like scaly skin, offering new insights into the evolutionary transition from...

Darwin Revisited: Modern Data Sheds Light on Ancient Evolutionary Theories

Norwegian University of Science and Technology — Tue, 21 May 2024 00:12:18 +0000

Ever since Darwin introduced his groundbreaking theory of evolution, biologists have been captivated by the complex processes that enable species to evolve. Can mechanisms responsible...

Life’s Secret Ingredient? USC Scientist Discovers New “Rule of Biology”

University of Southern California — Sun, 19 May 2024 21:41:54 +0000

University of Southern California Dornsife molecular biologist John Tower suggests that while living things generally prefer stability to conserve energy and resources, instability may also...

How Baobabs Conquered the World From Madagascar

Queen Mary University of London — Sat, 18 May 2024 13:26:33 +0000

The mystery behind the origin, evolution, and dispersal around the world of iconic baobabs has been solved by scientists. Also known as upside-down trees, or...

A Breakthrough in Protein Genetics: Scientists Unveil How Pseudogenes Evolve

Rice University — Fri, 17 May 2024 10:15:19 +0000

Rice University’s Peter Wolynes and his research team have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the evolution of specific genetic sequences known as pseudogenes. Their...

Epiregulin: The Growth Factor Redefining Human Brain Evolution

TU Dresden — Thu, 16 May 2024 20:16:01 +0000

What makes us human? According to neurobiologists, it is our neocortex. This outer layer of the brain is rich in neurons and lets us do...

From Kittens to Killers: The Surprising Evolution of Sabre-Toothed Tigers

University of Liège — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:00:12 +0000

How did sabre-toothed tigers acquire their long upper canine teeth? In a groundbreaking study, an international team of scientists explored the evolutionary development of sabre...

Decoding the Mysterious Origins of Baobab Trees

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Wed, 15 May 2024 15:00:21 +0000

Recent genomic research suggests that baobabs originated in Madagascar and later dispersed to Africa and Australia. Factors like climate and sea level changes influenced their...

Evolving Intelligence: How Chimpanzees Master Tools Well Into Adulthood

PLOS — Tue, 07 May 2024 18:00:38 +0000

A study in PLOS Biology reveals that chimpanzees continue to refine their tool-use skills into adulthood, similar to humans, suggesting that lifelong learning is vital...

Quantum Magnetoreception: The Evolutionary Secrets of Bird Navigation

University of Oldenburg — Tue, 07 May 2024 06:23:19 +0000

A new genetic study suggests that the protein cryptochrome 4 in bird eyes is key to their magnetic navigation abilities, with evolutionary changes highlighting its...

How a Faint Magnetic Pulse May Have Jumpstarted Evolution 600 Million Years Ago

Lindsey Valich, University of Rochester — Mon, 06 May 2024 08:22:11 +0000

Evidence suggests a weak magnetic field millions of years ago may have fueled the proliferation of life. The Ediacaran Period, spanning from about 635 to...

Surprising Patterns Unearthed – Study Debunks Traditional Views on Yeast Evolution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte — Sun, 05 May 2024 23:35:51 +0000

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics Abigail Leavitt LaBella has co-led an ambitious research study — published in the prestigious journal...

Marine Mystery Solved: Ancient Origins of Bioluminescence Uncovered

Smithsonian — Sat, 04 May 2024 00:19:33 +0000

Study explores an ancient lineage of marine invertebrates, including soft corals, pushes back the previous oldest dated example of trait by nearly 300 million years....

How Earth’s Faint Magnetic Field Fostered the Rise of Complex Life

Scientific Reports — Thu, 02 May 2024 15:00:39 +0000

Research reveals that a weakened magnetic field between 591 and 565 million years ago might have triggered higher oxygen levels, aiding the development of complex...

Evolutionary Puzzle Solved? New Species Challenge Mammal Ancestry Theories

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 22:07:48 +0000

Mammaliaforms encompass both living and extinct species that share a close relationship with mammals. Research on mammaliaforms aids scientists in deciphering the evolutionary developments responsible...

Unveiling the Dawn of Complex Life: How a Simple Creature Set the Stage for Human Evolution

Center for Genomic Regulation — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 15:08:55 +0000

Gene duplication events hundreds of millions of years ago contributed to evolutionary innovations such as insect flight, octopus camouflage, and human cognition. 700 million years...

A Decades-Long Mystery – Discovery of “Nitroplast” Challenges Modern Textbooks

University of California - Santa Cruz — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 06:53:02 +0000

Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants...

The Genetic Blueprint of Flight: New Research Reveals How Mammals Evolved To Glide

Baylor College of Medicine — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 15:23:29 +0000

A crucial gene has been identified that clarifies the repeated emergence of gliding capabilities throughout the evolution of marsupials. People say “When pigs fly” to...

Unlocking Avian Secrets: Scientists Create Breakthrough 93-Million-Year Bird Family Tree

University of California - San Diego — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:03:26 +0000

A global team of researchers has constructed the most comprehensive and extensive bird family tree to date, detailing the evolutionary connections among 363 bird species...

Old Science, New Twists: Ancient Frog Fossils Disrupt 100-Year-Old Beliefs

University College Cork — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 09:00:23 +0000

Paleontologists discovered that the exceptional preservation of 45-million-year-old frog fossils can be attributed to the mineralization of their skin, offering new insights into their adaptation...

Advanced RNA Sequencing Reveals the Drivers of New COVID Variants

Baylor College of Medicine — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:00:55 +0000

A study reveals that a new sequencing technique, tARC-seq, can accurately track mutations in SARS-CoV-2, providing insights into the rapid evolution and variant development of...

“Bizarre” Patterns Unearthed – Cambridge Study Challenges Traditional Views on Human Origins

University of Cambridge — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 21:14:04 +0000

A new study from the University of Cambridge suggests that interspecies competition significantly influenced the evolutionary trajectory of hominins, resulting in a “bizarre” evolutionary pattern...

Certain Female Whales Can Live up to 40 Years Longer – Scientists Have Finally Discovered the Secret

University of Exeter — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:34:16 +0000

New research indicates that females in certain whale species have evolved to have significantly longer lifespans in order to care for their families. The study...

Genetic Puzzles Solved: Why European Colonization Drove the Blue Antelope to Extinction

University of Potsdam — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:09:54 +0000

An international team of researchers led by the University of Potsdam has generated and analyzed the first high-coverage nuclear genome of the extinct blue antelope...