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Genomic resources for cartilaginous fishes are scarce. Here, the authors sequence the genome of three sharks and provide insights on the molecular basis of adaptation to underwater lifestyle and the evolutionary origins of vertebrates.
Microbial mats in extreme environments are analogues of Precambrian ecosystems. Here, the authors analyse metagenomes of microbial mats from a pond along a steep redox gradient and apply a space-for-time approach to infer early Earth metabolic transitions.
Age at maturity in Atlantic salmon has been associated with a single locus with sex-specific effects. Here, the authors show rapid evolution towards early maturity in males of a large salmon population induced by sex-specific selection during sea migration.
Comparative quantitative analysis of factors shaping genome size evolution in amphibians reveals multiple (but rare) jumps in size against a background of gradual, time-dependent evolution.
A global-scale synthesis reveals how nitrogen resorption and mineralization interact to influence the biogeography of nitrogen conservation and acquisition in different biomes.
Adaptive differentiation is poorly understood in marine systems. Here, the authors combine genome sequencing with gene expression and physiology to show that genetic divergence and plasticity contribute to local adaptation of Pacific oyster populations.
Most models for evolutionarily stable states assume that mutations are rare enough that ecological dynamics equilibrate between mutations. Here, it is shown that a higher mutation rate allows the system to tunnel to complex ESS that would otherwise be unreachable via single mutations.
Rank abundance distribution models reveal that Ediacaran ecological communities were highly complex, probably including species competing for different resources and/or creating niches for other species.
Data from 143 weather radars provide an estimate of biomass flows from nocturnal migrating birds across the continental United States, providing a picture of survival rates for species with different life-history and migratory strategies.
A stoichiometric framework predicts the contrasting results of nutrient effects on primary production, with predicted responses supported by a meta-analysis of N–P fertilization experiments.
Growing evidence suggests that de novo genes originating from noncoding DNA are common. Here the authors show that while open reading frames pervasively emerge from noncoding sequences, most are lost; nevertheless a few can be translated and give rise to new protein-coding genes.
Marine aquaculture is a rapidly growing global source of food, but is likely to be affected by climate change. Here, the effect of warming oceans on the production potential of 180 cultured finfish and bivalve species is mapped over the next century.
Gene regulatory networks evolve through changes in regulatory connections. Combining experiments and thermodynamic modelling, the authors show that intrinsic binding characteristics of repressors are important determinants for their evolutionary potential.
Whether individual behaviours remain consistent across environments is unclear. Here the authors show that guppies translocated into different environments consistently differ in their ability to acquire food resources, which is also modified by sociality and sex.
Daily location data on the individuals of 14 migratory marine species from 2000 to 2009 allow annual migratory cycles to be mapped to the time spent in the high seas and the exclusive economic zones of specific countries, providing a basis for international management strategies for these species.
The teeth of Mesozoic marine reptiles are used to establish a dietary guild system for the species of the Jurassic Sub-Boreal Seaway over about 18 million years, revealing that niche partition and spatial distribution that varied following sea depth enabled species coexistence, as with marine faunas today.
Sexually selected traits primarily drive reproductive success, but their secondary functions are less well studied. Here, the authors show that antler retention among male elk involves a trade-off between predator deterrence and reproductive success in the next breeding season.
Long-term replication experiments using two RNA molecules that must cooperate to replicate reveals a concentration range within which cooperation is maintained even in the presence of a parasitic RNA.
Analysing data from 39 grassland biodiversity experiments, the authors uncover the direct and indirect contributions to ecosystem stability of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional trait diversity.