Latest Evolution Stories
LSU’s Mark Batzer, along with research associate Jerilyn Walker and assistant professor Miriam Konkel, have published research determining that modern-day orangutans are host to ancient jumping genes called Alu, which are more than 16 million years old. The study was done in collaboration with the Zoological Society of San Diego and the Institute of Systems Biology in Seattle and is featured in the new open access journal Mobile DNA. These tiny pieces of mobile DNA are able to copy...
Excess sun exposure, a diet rich in fish, and gene inheritance from ancient explorers and traders, are all possible theories why some dark-skinned indigenous Solomon Islanders are naturally blonde, according to new research published today in the journal Science. The study, led by Stanford University researchers, found that 5 to 10 percent of the indigenous Solomon population have a gene that is responsible for blondeness. The trait, however, is distinctly different from the gene that...
Brett Smith for Redorbit.com Scientists may have just found a ‘missing link’ in the form of a partial, duplicate gene that appears to be responsible for human brain development - the most distinguishing characteristic of our species. The genetic variation occurred in man’s ape-like ancestor about two or three million years ago, according to a pair of studies published online in the journal Cell. A team led by researchers at the Scripps Research Institute found that a partial...
At one University of Cincinnati laboratory, the phrase “battle of the sexes” is taking on new meaning, with implications for our understanding of evolution. In a paper published Thursday, May 3, in the journal Evolution, University of Cincinnati graduate student Karl Grieshop and Michal Polak, associate professor of biological sciences at UC, examine the role of genital spines in the reproductive success of a species of fruit fly. Their investigation identifies the specific type of...
Cypress distribution reflects the breakup of Pangaea In classical mythology, the cypress tree is associated with death, the underworld and eternity. Indeed, the family to which cypresses belong, is an ancient lineage of conifers, and a new study of their evolution affords a unique insight into a turbulent era in the Earth’s history. During the geological era known as the Mesozoic, the continental crust was concentrated in a single huge landmass, the supercontinent Pangea. Pangea began...
New evidence proves humans are continuing to evolve and that significant natural and sexual selection is still taking place in our species in the modern world. Despite advancements in medicine and technology, as well as an increased prevalence of monogamy, research reveals humans are continuing to evolve just like other species. Scientists in an international collaboration, which includes the University of Sheffield, analyzed church records of about 6,000 Finnish people born between...
Alu elements infiltrated the ancestral primate genome about 65 million years ago. Once gained an Alu element is rarely lost so comparison of Alu between species can be used to map primate evolution and diversity. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Mobile DNA has found a single Alu, which appears to be an ancestral great ape Alu, that has uniquely multiplied within the orangutan genome. Analysis of DNA sequences has found over a million Alu elements within each...
If Pygmies are known for one trait, it is their short stature: Pygmy men stand just 4'11" on average. But the reason why these groups are so short and neighboring groups are not remains unclear. Scientists have proposed various theories based on natural selection, including that Pygmies' reduced size lowered nutritional requirements, helped them better handle hot climates, or allowed them to reach sexual maturity at an earlier age. Now a new study of the Western African Pygmies in...
AUBURN, Ala., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Viper Powersports, Inc. (OTCQB: VPWI)(Viper), announced today that its subsidiary, Viper Motorcycle Company (VMC), has completed a financing agreement with Precious Capital, LLC, a wholly owned entity of Platinum Partners based in New York City, to provide VMC with up to $6 million in a secured credit facility. The agreement has a three (3) year term and it carries an annual interest rate of 15%. In addition, Precious Capital received...
Bacteria evolved way to safeguard crucial genetic material Just as banks store away only the most valuable possessions in the most secure safes, cells prioritize which genes they guard most closely, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have found. The study, published online today in Nature, shows that bacteria have evolved a mechanism that protects important genes from random mutation, effectively reducing the risk of...
