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animals

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Aerial view of forest at the edge of clear-cut land. The vegetation growing back in the clearing is not forest.
ecology

Simpler Math Predicts How Close Ecosystems Are to Collapse

By Anna Gibbs
March 6, 2023
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By replacing thousands of equations with just one, ecology modelers can more accurately assess how close fragile environments are to a disastrous “tipping point.”

A stylized illustration showing half the heads and brains of a lizard and a mouse in cross-section side by side.
evolution

Gene Expression in Neurons Solves a Brain Evolution Puzzle

By Allison Whitten
February 14, 2023
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The neocortex of our brain is the seat of our intellect. New data suggests that mammals created it with new types of cells that they developed only after their evolutionary split from reptiles.

A detailed scan of a zebra fish as seen from above.
developmental biology

The Gut Microbiome Helps Social Skills Develop in the Brain

By Joanna Thompson
November 15, 2022
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New research in fish suggests that gut microbes can have a crucial early influence on the brain’s social development.

Illustration of butterflies with similar wing-color patterns holding bundles of DNA.
genetics

How Supergenes Fuel Evolution Despite Harmful Mutations

By Carrie Arnold
November 8, 2022
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Supergenes that lock inherited traits together are widespread in nature. Recent work shows that their blend of genetic benefits and risks for species can be complex.

A snake and two frogs staring at one another across a rock.
genomics

How Genes Can Leap From Snakes to Frogs in Madagascar

By Veronique Greenwood
October 27, 2022
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The discovery of a hot spot for horizontal gene transfer draws attention to the possible roles of parasites and ecology in such changes.

A frog leaps out of the frame of the video.
biomechanics

Record-Breaking Robot Highlights How Animals Excel at Jumping

By Yasemin Saplakoglu
September 14, 2022
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Robots can surpass the limitations on how high and far animals can jump, but their success only underscores nature’s ingenuity in making the most of what’s available.

Closeup of the face of an electric eel.
evolution

Electric Fish Genomes Reveal How Evolution Repeats Itself

By Joanna Thompson
August 22, 2022
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By studying how electric organs arose in different lineages of fish, scientists gain new insights into a long-standing question of evolutionary biology.

Pocket watch with face of a woman at different ages where the numbers would be, on a DNA chain.
aging

Epigenetic ‘Clocks’ Predict Animals’ True Biological Age

By Ingrid Wickelgren
August 17, 2022
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A statistical analysis of chemical tags on DNA may help unify disparate theories of aging.

A blueprint-like rendering of the biomechanics of a bird wing.
biomechanics

Geometric Analysis Reveals How Birds Mastered Flight

By Yasemin Saplakoglu
August 3, 2022
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Partnerships between engineers and biologists have begun to reveal how birds evolved their superb maneuverability.


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