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Ancient DNA Reveals Neandertal Gene Flow into Modern Humans

Ancient DNA research suggests that our non-African ancestors mixed with Neandertals about 50,000 years ago, resulting in one to two percent Neandertal DNA in non-African modern humans.

14 Dec 2024

New Look at the Last Universal Common Ancestor

Revising genetic code evolution, this research uncovers early amino acid recruitment patterns and sulfur's significance for understanding extraterrestrial life.

13 Dec 2024

Unraveling the Mystery of Anglerfish’s Deadly Fishing Trick

Frogfish exhibit motor neuron migration in the CNS, revealing evolutionary adaptations in dorsal fins that enhance hunting efficiency and vertebrate evolution.

13 Dec 2024

The Mechanics Behind Crocodile Morphology: A Breakthrough in Evolutionary Biology

How do humans account for the variety of morphologies found in living things? Genetics is usually the first explanation that comes to mind, but it is not the only one.

12 Dec 2024

Programmable G-protein-coupled receptors redefine therapeutic applications.

This study demonstrates the development of PAGERs (programmable antigen-gated engineered receptors), combining antigen specificity, modular adaptability, and drug-controlled activation, with potential applications in synthetic biology, therapeutics, and neuroscience.

12 Dec 2024

Evolution of Chloroplasts from Energy Providers to Carbon Fixers

Endosymbiosis, the process by which one organism engulfed another and integrated its DNA and functions into itself rather than ingesting it, was one of the most significant events in the history of life.

11 Dec 2024

Study Reveals How Toxoplasma Parasite Evades Drug Treatment by Altering Protein Production

A study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers sheds new light on how Toxoplasma gondii parasites make the proteins they need to enter a dormant stage that allows them to escape drug treatment.

10 Dec 2024

Lice as Models for Studying Mitochondrial Disorders

A set of genes that in humans would suggest a late-stage degenerative disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease are present in lice throughout their lives.

10 Dec 2024

Tiny RNA Molecule Controls Wing Coloration in Butterflies and Moths

Lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) exhibit a splendid diversity of wing color patterns, and many species display black and white, or dark and bright, wing color pattern variants associated with the presence and absence of melanin.

9 Dec 2024

Scientists Unravel the Mystery of Gene Expression Bursting

Researchers at Kyushu University have discovered a connection between bursts of gene activity and the spatial distance between particular DNA regions.

9 Dec 2024

Discovery of START Domain Reveals Secrets of Plant Development

Within all complex, multicellular living systems such as plants and humans, there exists a set of genetic elements that can be likened to the blueprints, tools, and specialized personnel at a construction site for an expanding development.

6 Dec 2024

Single Mutation Could Make H5N1 Bird Flu More Dangerous to Humans

Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus?

6 Dec 2024

AI Tool for Accelerating Biological Discovery

Brian Hie leads the Laboratory of Evolutionary Design at Stanford, focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence and biology.

5 Dec 2024

Tool to control cellular activity could advance biology and medicine

A cell’s ability to react to its surroundings is one of its fundamental roles. Therefore, it makes sense that one of the objectives of scientists is to manipulate that process so that cells react to their desires.

5 Dec 2024

Unveiling the Hidden Role of Deep-Sea Viruses in Global Climate Dynamics

The significance of deep-sea virology and its impacts on global climate and biogeochemical structures is not unknown, though its importance might be understated.

4 Dec 2024

Unmasking the Molecular Mechanisms of Hepatitis B Virus Entry

An infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is spread by blood or bodily fluids, is one of the main causes of chronic liver diseases. The World Health Organization reports that there are 1.2 million new HBV infections worldwide each year.

4 Dec 2024

Amborella trichopoda sheds light on ZW sex chromosome evolution in angiosperm plants

A recent study characterizes the ZW sex chromosomes in Amborella trichopoda, revealing insights into sex determination and early evolutionary dynamics in plants.

4 Dec 2024

Study Offers a New Perspective on the Evolution of Large Human Brains

Brain tissue is among the most energetically costly in the body, and as a result, larger-brained mammals require more energy to support brain growth and maintenance.

3 Dec 2024

Ancient Hominin Footprints Reveal Evidence of Coexistence

More than a million years ago, on a hot savannah teeming with wildlife near the shore of what would someday become Lake Turkana in Kenya, two completely different species of hominins may have passed each other as they scavenged for food.

2 Dec 2024

New Research Challenges Views on Human Brain Evolution

Modern humans, Neanderthals, and other recent relatives on our human family tree evolved bigger brains much more rapidly than earlier species, a new study of human brain evolution has found.

2 Dec 2024