Taking a “chance” is one of the impulses that drives evolution. But when do cells retain specific gene sequences, and when do they allow evolution to experiment with them? Now, new research from the Weizmann Institute indicates that a sort of “risk distribution law” is in effect. Prof. Naama Barkai of the Weizmann Institute’s Molecular […]
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Mites Re-Evolve Sexual Reproduction
Researchers from the University of Darmstadt in Germany and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry reported this week on a family of mites that have forsaken asexual reproduction and re-evolved to reproduce sexually. Reported in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the revival of a complex trait such as sexual reproduction after […]
Magnetic Bacteria Maintain Their Mystery
The evolutionary advantage that magnetic bacteria enjoy has always been something of a conundrum, but now, scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Purdue University have shed at least some light on the mystery. Their description of how being magnetic assists the bacteria to navigate appears in theBiophysical Journal. Found in a variety of […]