Statistical test relates pathogen mutation to infectious disease progression
Nucleic acid sequencing methods, which determine the order of nucleotides in DNA fragments, are rapidly progressing. These processes yield large quantities of sequence data—some of which is...
View ArticleA classic Darwinian ecological hypothesis holds up—with a twist
New University of Colorado Boulder-led research shows that a long-held hypothesis about the factors that govern species ranges largely holds true, but may be the result of a previously underappreciated...
View ArticlePaleogenomic analysis sheds light on Easter Island mysteries
Easter Island is a place of mystery that has captured the public imagination. Famous for ancient carved statues and a location so remote it boggles the mind, the island presents a captivating puzzle...
View ArticleNew mathematical model to explain the correlation between migration and...
Scientists from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (France) and the University of Leicester (United Kingdom) have shown how the wealth of a...
View ArticleGenetic mutation trade-offs lead to parallel evolution
Organisms in nature adapt and evolve in complex environments. For example, when subjected to changes in nutrients, antibiotics, and predation, microbes in the wild face the challenge of adapting...
View ArticleScientists find that 'fathers do matter' for the wandering albatross
One of the predicted consequences of climate change is a shift in body mass distributions within animal populations. Yet body mass, an important component of the physiological state of an organism, can...
View ArticleDeclining male offspring further imperil endangered flycatchers in southern...
A new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications documents the steep decline of a population of endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatchers over 16 years—and the change in the sex ratio that has...
View ArticleA rare window on the lives of young albatrosses
Understanding population dynamics is crucial for the conservation of long-lived species like albatrosses, but collecting data on albatrosses before they reach adulthood and begin to breed is...
View ArticleHuman settlement and abundant fruit create ecological trap for grizzlies
With its rustic small mountain towns, postcard-perfect vistas, and abundance of "pow" days, British Columbia's East Kootenay region has an undeniable lure for outdoor enthusiasts of all varieties—and...
View ArticleHuman DNA tied mostly to single exodus from Africa long ago (Update)
A study of hundreds of new genomes from across the globe has yielded insights into modern genetic diversity and ancient population dynamics, including compelling evidence that essentially all...
View ArticleKey molecular signal that shapes regeneration in planarian stem cells discovered
Many living creatures possess exceptional abilities that set them apart from other species. Cheetahs can run up to 60 miles per hour; ants can lift 100 times their body weight; flatworms can regrow...
View ArticleWhere were you born? Origin matters for species interactions
An oft-quoted proverb says it takes a village to raise a child, and new research from ecologists at Rice University and Louisiana State University suggests that a similar concept may be at work in...
View ArticleWarm springs, early laying don't harm bird flocks
A new study has found that many bird species lay their eggs earlier when spring is warmer, but that the timing has no damaging impact on their overall numbers.
View ArticleSimulation of prehistoric population dynamics using current topographical...
In a recent breakthrough, scientists from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and the Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai, demonstrate an accurate method to simulate prehistoric...
View ArticleLarge-scale environmental variation affects reproduction and survival of plants
A new analysis looks at how rates of reproduction and survival of 26 shrub species with fire-dependent life cycles in the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa respond to environmental variation.
View ArticleEbola has profound effects on wildlife population dynamics
New research in gorillas that were affected by an Ebola virus outbreak shows that disease can influence reproductive potential, immigration and social dynamics, and it highlights the need to develop...
View ArticleWhy innovation thrives in cities
In 2010, in the journal Nature, a pair of physicists at the Santa Fe Institute showed that when the population of a city doubles, economic productivity goes up by an average of 130 percent. Not only...
View ArticleCan the friend of my friend be my enemy? Choice affects stability of the...
Just as humans can follow complex social situations in deciding who to befriend or to abandon, it turns out that animals use the same level of sophistication in judging social configurations, according...
View ArticleChemical modules that mimic predator-prey and other behaviors
Scientists are reporting development of chemical modules that can reproduce, on an "unprecedented" molecular level, changes and interactions that occur in natural populations of plants and animals,...
View ArticleHow quickly things spread
Understanding the spread of infectious diseases in populations is the key to controlling them. If we were facing a flu pandemic, how could we measure where the greatest spreading risk comes from? This...
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