http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/charles_darwin/ New research into Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Read science articles on mutations, natural selection and how new species appear. Photos. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/charles_darwin/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110135411.htm Penguins that died 44,000 years ago in Antarctica have provided extraordinary frozen DNA samples that challenge the accuracy of traditional genetic aging measurements, and suggest those approaches have been routinely underestimating the age of many specimens by 200 to 600 percent. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110135411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132706.htm Scientists have an ambitious new strategy for untangling the evolutionary history of humans and their biological relatives: Create a genetic menagerie made of the DNA of more than 10,000 vertebrate species. The plan, proposed by an international consortium of scientists, is to obtain, preserve, and sequence the DNA of approximately one species for each genus of living mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145603.htm A painstaking genomic and proteomic analysis has found a new evolutionary mechanism that accounts for some of the biological complexity of human beings. The scientists who found the mechanism say it helps humans cope with the consequences of inefficient natural selection. It fosters complexity by enabling human proteins to become more specialized over time. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121449.htm Ever since the Falklands wolf was described by Darwin himself, the origin of this now-extinct canid found only on the Falkland Islands far off the east coast of Argentina has remained a mystery. Now, researchers who have compared DNA from four of the world's dozen or so known Falklands wolf museum specimens to that of living canids offer new insight into the evolutionary ancestry of these enigmatic carnivores. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171726.htm A major conclusion of the work is that for some organisms, possibly including humans, continued evolution will not translate into ever-increasing fitness. Moreover, a population may accrue mutations at a constant rate --- a pattern long considered the hallmark of "neutral" or non-Darwinian evolution --- even when the mutations experience Darwinian selection. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171726.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027101415.htm When Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species 150 years ago, he deliberately avoided the subject of the origin of life. This, coupled with the mention of the 'Creator' in the last paragraph of the book, led us to believe he was not willing to commit on the matter. An international team now refutes that idea and shows that the British naturalist did explain in other documents how our first ancestors could have come into being. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027101415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152816.htm Why do crosses between two species often yield sterile or inviable progeny (for instance, mules emerging from a cross between a horse and a donkey)? New research suggests that the solution to this problem lies in the "dark matter of the genome": heterochromatin, a tightly packed, gene-poor compartment of DNA found within the genomes of all nucleated cells. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224153.htm The Cambrian Explosion is widely regarded as one of the most relevant episodes in the history of life on Earth, when the vast majority of animal phyla first appear in the fossil record. However, the causes of its origin have been object of debate for decades. A novel theory formulates that the geologically induced increase on marine calcium, as a result of volcanic activity, might be the key for understanding this important stage in evolution. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021115147.htm Researchers have carried out molecular genetic analysis of the Y chromosome (transmitted only by males) of the aboriginal population of the Canary Islands to determine their origin and the extent to which they have survived in the current population. The results suggest a North African origin for these paternal lineages which, unlike maternal lineages, have declined to the point of being practically replaced today by European lineages. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021115147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025205016.htm Why did Barack Obama win the US election and did the fact he is over six feet tall influence the voters? Researchers argue that due to 'a hangover from our evolutionary past' factors like age, sex, height and weight play a major part in the determining our choice of leaders. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025205016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094100.htm Genetic information from an extinct species of bison preserved in permafrost for thousands of years could help improve modern agricultural livestock and breeding programs, according to researchers. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623150619.htm A new study describes recent excavations in Jordan that reveal evidence of the world's oldest known granaries. Scientists provide evidence that these granaries precede the emergence of fully domesticated plants and large-scale sedentary communities by at least 1,000 years. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623150619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020203420.htm Researchers report the oldest archaeological evidence of early human activities in a grassland environment, dating to two million years ago. The article highlights new research and its implications concerning the environments in which human ancestors evolved. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020203420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162933.htm Although advances in medical care have improved standards of living over time, humans aren't entirely sheltered from the forces of natural selection, a new study shows. Researchers decided to find out if natural selection is still at work in humans today. The result? Humans are still evolving. In fact, we're likely to evolve at roughly the same rates as other living things, findings suggest. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151443.htm Change in language can be compared with evolution in the world of animals and plants. According to a Dutch researcher, an individual user of language can spark off an evolution of his or her language. His new approach, comparing linguistic change with evolution, offers a number of advantages for the study of linguistic change. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141716.htm A 21-year experiment that distills the essence of evolution in laboratory flasks not only demonstrates natural selection at work, but could lead to biotechnology and medical research advances, researchers say. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016121827.htm Researchers have identified the first fish known to have switched from ultraviolet vision to violet vision, or the ability to see blue light. The discovery is also the first example of an animal deleting a molecule to change its visual spectrum. The findings on scabbardfish link molecular evolution to functional changes and the possible environmental factors driving them. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016121827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013201749.htm Researchers have identified a new type of flying reptile, providing the first clear evidence of an unusual and controversial type of evolution. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013201749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009090436.htm The raptor-like Archaeopteryx has long been viewed as the archetypal first bird, but new research reveals that it was actually a lot less "bird-like" than scientists had believed. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009090436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008143001.htm An international team of paleontologists has discovered a new species of mammal that lived in China's Liaoning Province 123 million years ago. This remarkably well preserved fossil offers important insight into how the mammalian middle ear evolved. Such exquisite dinosaur-age mammals provide evidence of how developmental mechanisms have impacted the evolution of the earliest mammals. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008143001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006104627.htm Historical naval logbooks are being used for the first time in research into climate change. The logbooks include famous voyages such as the Beagle, Cook’s HMS Discovery and Parry’s polar expedition in HMS Hecla. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006104627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002182631.htm Understanding the evolution and domestication of maize is important for many researchers. As one of the most important crops worldwide and one that appears very different from its wild relatives because of domestication, understanding exactly how maize has evolved has many practical benefits and may help improve crop yields. Researchers recently compared corn kernel development to its closest wild relative and have overturned some commonly held beliefs on the domestication of maize. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002182631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001110548.htm For the first time, scientists have thoroughly described Ardipithecus ramidus, a hominid species that lived 4.4 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia. Several new studies offer the first comprehensive, peer-reviewed description of the Ardipithecus fossils, which include a partial skeleton of a female, nicknamed "Ardi." Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001110548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924141049.htm Today's Scandinavians are not descended from the people who came to Scandinavia at the conclusion of the last ice age but, apparently, from a population that arrived later, concurrently with the introduction of agriculture. This is one conclusion of a new study straddling the borderline between genetics and archaeology. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924141049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924185533.htm A comprehensive study that builds on previous phylogenetic research on cetaceans and that combines morphology, genetics, and behavior confirms that the closest living relative is the hippo and demonstrates that the closest fossil relative is Indohyus. These evolutionary relationships imply that stem whales adapted to water first, and then to carnivory. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924185533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143335.htm Researchers have found that evolution can never go backwards, because the paths to the genes once present in our ancestors are forever blocked. The findings come from the first rigorous study of reverse evolution at the molecular level. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916133515.htm A new analysis of extinct sea creatures suggests that the transition from egg-laying to live-born young opened up evolutionary pathways that allowed these ancient species to adapt to and thrive in open oceans. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916133515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111102.htm An international team of researchers has discovered evidence at the molecular level in support of one of the key tenets of Darwin's theory of evolution. As a model system, the research focused on one specific molecular machine, the TIM complex, which transports proteins into mitochondria. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910121801.htm In a perfect world, for every boy there would of course be a girl, but a new study shows that actual sex ratios can sometimes sway very far from that ideal. In fact, the male-to-female ratio of one tropical butterfly has shifted rapidly over time and space, driven by a parasite that specifically kills males of the species, reveals a new report. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910121801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103904.htm What happens when traits no longer give creatures a competitive edge? In a recent review, researchers teamed up to take a closer look at the evolutionary fate of useless traits. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125137.htm About 10 percent of all couples hoping for a baby have fertility problems. Some environmentalists say pollution is to blame, while some psychiatrists point to our stressful lifestyles. But an evolutionary biologist in Israel offers a different take. The reproductive organs of men and women are currently involved in an evolutionary arms race, he reports in a new study. And the fight isn't over yet. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910091635.htm For many of the types of fish we buy in stores or order in restaurants, the chance that an individual dies from fishing is several times higher than dying of natural causes. This may seem obvious to most (they had to get to our table somehow), but what may not be apparent is that the relentless pursuit of consumer-friendly fish product is having a massive impact on fish populations around the world. By repeatedly choosing only the biggest fish, or only those found in certain habitats, the fisheries industry may be permanently altering the genetic composition of fish populations. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910091635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909133020.htm Analysis of a rock type found only in the world's oldest oceans has shed new light on how large animals first got a foothold on Earth. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909133020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163554.htm Scientists have suspected that spare parts in the genome -- extra copies of functional genes that arise when genes or whole genomes get duplicated -- might sometimes provide the raw materials for the evolution of new traits. Now, researchers report that they have discovered a prime example of this in fish. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824141045.htm Medically, crying is known to be a symptom of physical pain or stress. But now an evolutionary biologist looks to empirical evidence showing that tears have emotional benefits and can make interpersonal relationships stronger. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824141045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904071650.htm Biologists report new evidence for evolutionary change recorded in both the fossil record and the genomes (or genetic blueprints) of living organisms, providing fresh support for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The researchers were able to correlate the progressive loss of enamel in the fossil record with a simultaneous molecular decay of a gene, called the enamelin gene, that is involved in enamel formation in mammals. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904071650.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133629.htm Scientists have traced the evolution of the four-chambered human heart to a common genetic factor linked to the development of hearts in turtles and other reptiles. The research shows how a specific protein that turns on genes is involved in heart formation in turtles, lizards and humans. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827141342.htm In a vivid illustration of natural selection at work, scientists have found that deer mice living in Nebraska's Sand Hills quickly evolved lighter coloration after glaciers deposited sand dunes atop what had been much darker soil. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827141342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901172832.htm Humans and chimpanzees are genetically very similar, yet it is not difficult to identify the many ways in which we are clearly distinct from chimps. In a new study, scientists have made a crucial discovery of genes that have evolved in humans after branching off from other primates, opening new possibilities for understanding what makes us uniquely human. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901172832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827202513.htm The ability to digest the milk sugar lactose first evolved in dairy farming communities in central Europe, not in more northern groups as was previously thought, finds a new study. The genetic change that enabled early Europeans to drink milk without getting sick has been mapped to dairying farmers who lived 7,500 years ago between the central Balkans and central Europe. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827202513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123210.htm Researchers have calculated a general rate of one mutation in each 15 to 30 million DNA letters in humans. Using next-generation sequencing, researchers sequenced part of the Y chromosome from two distant male-line relatives. Despite 13 generations of separation -- with a common male ancestor 200 years ago -- they found only four letters that differed. Mutation is the ultimate source of human genetic variation and has implications for both evolutionary and disease genetics. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090829091049.htm In 1952, Stanley Miller filled two flasks with chemicals assumed to be present on the primitive Earth, connected the flasks with rubber tubes and introduced some electrical sparks as a stand-in for lightning. The now famous experiment showed what amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, could easily be generated from this primordial stew. But despite that seminal experiment, neither he nor others were able to take the next step: that of showing how life's code could come from such humble beginnings. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090829091049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101204.htm Shell beads unearthed from four sites in Morocco confirm early humans were consistently wearing and even trading symbolic jewelery as early as 80,000 years ago. These beads add to similar finds dating back as far as 110,000 in Algeria, Morocco, Israel and South Africa, confirming these as the oldest form of personal ornaments. Together these shells -- all from the Nassarius genus -- indicate a shared tradition passed along through cultures over thousands of years. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182053.htm A new study has concluded that one key part of the immune system, the ability of vitamin D to regulate anti-bactericidal proteins, is so important that is has been conserved through almost 60 million years of evolution and is shared only by primates, including humans -- but no other known animal species. Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820175901.htm The lowly appendix, long-regarded as a useless evolutionary artifact, won newfound respect two years ago when researchers proposed that it actually serves a critical function. The appendix, they said, is a safe haven where good bacteria could hang out until they were needed to repopulate the gut after a nasty case of diarrhea, for example. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820175901.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812145019.htm Extra genomes appear, on average, to offer no benefit or disadvantage to plants, but still play a key role in the origin of new species, say scientists. Plant biologists have long suspected polyploidy -- the heritable acquisition of extra chromosome sets -- was a gateway to speciation. But the consensus was that polyploidy is a minor force. The first direct, comprehensive survey of polyploid speciation in plant evolution severely challenges that notion. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812145019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162005.htm An analysis of wrist anatomy in humans, chimps, bonobos and gorillas indicates our own bipedalism probably did not evolve from a knuckle-walking ancestor. "Our data support the opposite notion, that features of the hand and wrist found in the human fossil record that have traditionally been treated as indicators of knuckle-walking behavior in general are in fact evidence of arboreality," researchers report. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141706.htm As letters of the alphabet spell out words, when amino acids are linked to one another in a particular order they "spell out" proteins. But sometimes the cell machinery for building proteins in our bodies makes a mistake and the wrong amino acid is inserted. The consequences can be devastating, resulting in a garbled protein that no longer has the correct function, possibly leading to cancers and other diseases. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141706.htm