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Flying Fish and Aquarium Pets Yield Secrets of Evolution

January 5, 2022

New studies reveal the ancient, shared genetic “grammar” underpinning the diverse evolution of fish fins and tetrapod limbs.

The Year in Biology

December 21, 2021

The detailed understanding of brains and multicellular bodies reached new heights this year, while the genomes of the COVID-19 virus and various organisms yielded more surprises.

Sponge Genes Hint at the Origins of Neurons and Other Cells

November 4, 2021

A new study of gene expression in sponges reveals the complex diversity of their cells as well as some possibly ancient connections between the nervous, immune and digestive systems.

Mathematical Analysis of Fruit Fly Wings Hints at Evolution’s Limits

September 20, 2021

A painstaking study of wing morphology shows both the striking uniformity of individuals in a species and a subtle pattern of linked variations that evolution can exploit.

Q&A

Karen Miga Fills In the Missing Pieces of Our Genome

September 8, 2021

Driven by her fascination with highly repetitive, hard-to-read parts of our DNA, Karen Miga led a coalition of researchers to finish sequencing the human genome after almost two decades.

The Complex Truth About ‘Junk DNA’

September 1, 2021

Genomes hold immense quantities of noncoding DNA. Some of it is essential for life, some seems useless, and some has its own agenda.

How Do New Organs Evolve? A Beetle Gland Shows the Way.

August 16, 2021

The evolution of a defensive gland in beetles shows how organs can arise from novel cells carving out new functional niches for their neighbors.

DNA Jumps Between Animal Species. No One Knows How Often.

June 9, 2021

The discovery of a gene shared by two unrelated species of fish is the latest evidence that horizontal gene transfers occur surprisingly often in vertebrates.

DNA of Giant ‘Corpse Flower’ Parasite Surprises Biologists

April 21, 2021

The bizarre genome of the world’s most mysterious flowering plants shows how far parasites will go in stealing, deleting and duplicating DNA.

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