Featured
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Repeated evolution in overlapping mimicry rings among North American velvet ants
In Müllerian mimicry two or more harmful species share a similar appearance for mutual benefit. This study identifies a large Müllerian mimicry complex in North American velvet ants, where 65 species mimic each other through shared colour patterns gained as the result of independent evolution.
- Joseph S. Wilson
- , Kevin A. Williams
- & James P. Pitts
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| Open AccessGenome sequences of wild and domestic bactrian camels
Camels are essential means of transport in deserts, but we know little about the biology of these extraordinary mammals. This study reports the genome sequences of the wild and domestic bactrian camel, offering a glimpse into the camels’ genetic adaptation to harsh environments.
- Jirimutu
- , Zhen Wang
- & He Meng
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Phylogenetic constraints on ecosystem functioning
It has been proposed that phylogenetic diversity can be used as a proxy to estimate functional diversity and to predict ecosystem functioning. Here, the rapid evolutionary response of marine bacteria is used to study the positive effects of evolutionary history and species diversity on ecosystem productivity.
- Dominique Gravel
- , Thomas Bell
- & Nicolas Mouquet
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Genetic architecture supports mosaic brain evolution and independent brain–body size regulation
It has been controversial whether the sizes of different regions of the brain can evolve independently of each other. This study identifies genetic loci responsible for independent size regulation in different brain regions, and finds brain size to be regulated independently of body size.
- Reinmar Hager
- , Lu Lu
- & Robert W. Williams
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Dynamic evolution of venom proteins in squamate reptiles
The evolution of venom toxins is an area of intense study but has been hampered by the lack of non-toxin protein homologues. Here, phylogenetic analyses of non-toxin genes sourced from transcriptomic studies are found placed within groups of venom toxins, revealing dynamic changes in the sites of toxin expression.
- Nicholas R. Casewell
- , Gavin A. Huttley
- & Wolfgang Wüster
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| Open AccessBats host major mammalian paramyxoviruses
The large virus family,Paramyxoviridae, includes several human and livestock viruses. This study, testing 119 bat and rodent species distributed globally, identifies novel putative paramyxovirus species, providing data with potential uses in predictions of the emergence of novel paramyxoviruses in humans and livestock.
- Jan Felix Drexler
- , Victor Max Corman
- & Christian Drosten
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Earliest known coelacanth skull extends the range of anatomically modern coelacanths to the Early Devonian
The coelacanth body plan can be traced to the late Middle Devonian, but the group's early history is unclear due to a limited fossil record. This study presents the earliest known coelacanth skull (Euporosteus yunnanensissp. nov.), extending the chronological range of anatomically modern coelacanths by 17 million years.
- Min Zhu
- , Xiaobo Yu
- & Liantao Jia
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Late Cretaceous origin of the rice tribe provides evidence for early diversification in Poaceae
In this study, fossils from the Late Cretaceous period in India are described and are assigned to the rice tribe based on phylogenetic comparison of morphological traits with modern grasses; these findings suggest that the evolutionary origins of the grass family, Poaceae, occurred earlier than previously thought.
- V. Prasad
- , C.A.E. Strömberg
- & A. Sahni
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Anatomically modern Carboniferous harvestmen demonstrate early cladogenesis and stasis in Opiliones
Harvestmen — Opiliones — are an ancient and diverse arachnid group with a limited fossil record. Here, X-ray micro-tomography of fossils reveals two new Carboniferous harvestmen species, allowing a phylogenetic analysis of these Palaeozoic Opiliones, demonstrating similarities between the fossils and extant groups.
- Russell J. Garwood
- , Jason A. Dunlop
- & Mark D. Sutton
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| Open AccessMesozoic retroposons reveal parrots as the closest living relatives of passerine birds
Zebra finches are passerine birds, but their phylogenetic relationship with non-passerine birds remains controversial. By examining retroposon insertion loci in avian genomes, the authors reveal that parrots are the closest relatives of passerines, which may have implications for understanding the evolution of birdsong.
- Alexander Suh
- , Martin Paus
- & Jürgen Schmitz
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Identification and characterization of a multidomain hyperthermophilic cellulase from an archaeal enrichment
Archaea are microorganisms that use a wide range of carbon and energy sources. Grahamet al. describe an archaeal consortium that can grow at temperatures above 90 °C using crystalline cellulose as a carbon source, with potential applications in enzymatic degradation under extreme conditions.
- Joel E. Graham
- , Melinda E. Clark
- & Frank T. Robb
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| Open AccessParallel evolution of the make–accumulate–consume strategy in Saccharomyces and Dekkera yeasts
Saccharomycesyeasts can produce ethanol from sugars in the presence of oxygen. In this study, the authors demonstrate thatDekkera bruxellensis, a distantly related yeast, can also produce and consume ethanol due to the loss of a cis-regulatory element from the promoters of genes crucial for respiration.
- Elżbieta Rozpędowska
- , Linda Hellborg
- & Jure Piškur
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| Open AccessConvergent evolution in biosynthesis of cyanogenic defence compounds in plants and insects
Cyanide-releasing defence systems in plants and animals are important to the evolution of plant–herbivore interactions. The authors identify the enzymes responsible for biosynthesis of cyanogenic glucosides by Six-spot Burnet moth caterpillars, which have evolved independently from the known plant pathway.
- Niels Bjerg Jensen
- , Mika Zagrobelny
- & Søren Bak
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| Open AccessThe IncP-1 plasmid backbone adapts to different host bacterial species and evolves through homologous recombination
Plasmids are present in many bacteria and are often transferred between different species causing horizontal gene transfer. By comparing the sequences of 25 plasmid DNA backbones, the authors show that homologous recombination is prevalent in plasmids and that the plasmids have adapted to persist in different host bacteria.
- Peter Norberg
- , Maria Bergström
- & Malte Hermansson
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| Open AccessComparative transcriptome analysis reveals vertebrate phylotypic period during organogenesis
The conservation of embryonic development across species is of great interest in evolutionary biology. Here, using transcriptome analysis, the authors show that the pharyngula stage of development—in mid-embryogenesis—is conserved between mice, chickens, frogs and zebrafish.
- Naoki Irie
- & Shigeru Kuratani
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Coastal pollution limits pelagic larval dispersal
Storm water runoff and wastewater effluent are discharged into oceans, but the full ecological effects of these discharges are unknown. Here, the authors examine the population structure of a marine organism, the bat star, and show that these discharges alter the genetic structure and larval dispersal of this species.
- Jonathan B. Puritz
- & Robert J. Toonen
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Flammable biomes dominated by eucalypts originated at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary
Trees of the genusEucalyptusdominate the flora in Australia and can undergo resprouting after fire. Here, fossils and DNA of eucalypts reveal that the resprouting feature of the trees can be linked to the evolution of fire biomes, and that this likely began 60 million years ago.
- Michael D. Crisp
- , Geoffrey E. Burrows
- & David M. J. S. Bowman
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| Open AccessAncient origins determine global biogeography of hot and cold desert cyanobacteria
Microorganisms are abundant in many environments and understanding their dispersal between ecosystems is important for ecology and conservation. These authors demonstrate that cyanobacterial populations are specific to hot or cold deserts and that gene flow between different populations does not occur.
- Justin Bahl
- , Maggie C. Y. Lau
- & Stephen B. Pointing
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| Open AccessA speciation gene for left–right reversal in snails results in anti-predator adaptation
A single gene results in either dextral or sinistral snail shell coiling and snails with different coils cannot copulate. Here, the authors provide evidence of how such an allele can become fixed in a population by showing that snails with a counterclockwise sinistral coil are protected from predators.
- Masaki Hoso
- , Yuichi Kameda
- & Michio Hori