Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Igor Adameyko
Summary: The evolutionary origin of the hollow tube-like central nervous system (CNS) in chordates remains mysterious as most animals in the animal kingdom have ganglionic-type nervous systems without epithelialized tubes or liquid-filled cavities. Recent findings suggest that nerve cords in other deuterostomes may provide insights into the homologies, histology, and anatomy of the chordate neural tube. These findings inspire new hypotheses about the evolutionary scenarios explaining the tubular structure of the CNS, including the role of directional olfaction and the biomechanical support provided by a liquid-filled tube. These hypotheses challenge previous explanations and shed light on the development of the CNS in chordates.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Christophe Heintz, Thom Scott-Phillips
Summary: Human expression is diverse and unified by cognitive capacities for expressing and recognizing informative intentions. These cognitive capacities are adaptations to partner choice social ecology, explaining the massive diversity and open-endedness in human means and modes of expression. This diversity, including language use and other behaviors like joint action, teaching, punishment, and art, is a foundation of distinctive features of human behavior, society, and culture.
BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES
(2022)
News Item
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksandra Filipovska, Oliver Rackham
Summary: A directed evolution approach can generate ribosomes with highly functional tethered subunits, integrating the decoding and peptidyl transferase activities of the ribosome into a single entity, potentially leading to more efficient protein engineering technologies.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ronald L. Calabrese
Summary: The study reveals that degeneracy in neuronal networks is conditional, showing a different pattern compared to accepted degeneracy in neuronal and synaptic properties.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Dipti Mayee Dash, W. Jabez Osborne
Summary: Since the concept of bioremediation was introduced, microorganisms, microbial enzymes, and plants have been used as principal elements for Organophosphate pesticide (OPP) bioremediation. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and constructed wetlands (CWs) have brought new prospects to OPP biodegradation strategies. Application of synthetic biology, system biology, and bioinformatics tools have provided significant knowledge regarding the genetic, enzymatic, and biochemical aspects of OPP biodegradation.
Article
Cell Biology
Pascal Schmidt, Eva Leman, Ronan Lagadec, Michael Schubert, Sylvie Mazan, Ram Reshef
Summary: This study investigates the role of retinoic acid (RA) in the regulation of chordate and vertebrate pronephros formation through a comparative developmental approach. The results show that the conservation of Pax2 and Lim1 expressions in chordate pronephros homologs is present, but the responsiveness to RA and Hox-dependent regulation is a novelty in gnathostomes.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giorgia Bolognesi, Maria Giulia Bacalini, Chiara Pirazzini, Paolo Garagnani, Cristina Giuliani
Summary: This review examines the impact of different environmental toxicants on human evolution. Research has shown that exposure to toxins leads to adaptive genetic changes, with epigenetic remodeling and DNA methylation variation being proposed as molecular mechanisms for medium-term adaptation. The high impact of such exposure on human biology, including genetic and epigenetic diversity, mutation rate, biological fitness, and brain evolution and physiology, is discussed based on scientific literature from clinical and medical studies.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Steven Poe, Christopher Anderson, Joseph Barnett
Summary: The focus on named clades in comparative evolutionary analyses is criticized due to potential biases and issues with using clades as units of analysis. While some potential alternatives for clade selection are presented, they are not seen as complete solutions. The nonindependence of clades and the questionable biological insights gained from clade-based studies are highlighted as broader problems with this approach.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
E. R. Pansarin, A. W. C. Ferreira
Summary: The study investigated the role of flower traits on the reproduction of Neotropical Vanilla and the evolution of pollination systems in this orchid genus. It found that Vanilla palmarum has a mixed mating system, with its yellow scentless flowers being pollinated by hummingbirds, and also capable of autogamy. The origin of bird pollination and autogamy in Vanilla was mapped onto trees, with nectar secretion having a single origin in the Neotropical thick-leafed lineage.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vanessa Polet Carrillo-Carrasco, Jorge Hernandez-Garcia, Sumanth K. Mutte, Dolf Weijers
Summary: The signaling molecule auxin is found in various life kingdoms. It has primarily been studied as a phytohormone regulating growth and development in land plants. Recent advancements in genomic and transcriptomic data, along with phylogenetic inference, have allowed us to trace the evolutionary history of auxin biology in bryophytes and streptophyte algae. This review examines auxin biosynthesis, transport, physiological and molecular responses, as well as its role as a chemical messenger in ecological communication. Validating predicted orthologs will further our understanding of the conserved properties of auxin biology among streptophytes.
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
Samir Okasha
Summary: Evolutionary biology is remarkable in its ability to explain a wide range of phenomena through a few general theoretical principles. This article explores the strategy of endogenization, where biological features are integrated into evolutionary explanations, moving closer to the ideal of explaining as much as possible from evolutionary first principles.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eri Tabata, Ikuto Kobayashi, Takuya Morikawa, Akinori Kashimura, Peter O. Bauer, Fumitaka Oyama
Summary: The ancestors of placental mammals were insectivores, suggesting that modern mammals inherited the ability to digest insects. Acidic chitinase (Chia) is a crucial enzyme that hydrolyzes a significant component of insects' exoskeleton. Herbivorous animal groups, such as cattle, have very low chitinase activity compared to omnivorous species like mice, possibly due to a genetic mutation.
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Pierre De Wit, Ellika Faust, Leon Green, Marlene Jahnke, Ricardo T. Pereyra, Marina Rafajlovic
Summary: The article summarizes the progress in Marine Evolutionary Biology over the past decade as presented in the Evolutionary Applications Special Issue. This issue, consisting of original papers and reviews, is a small contribution to the broader field of evolutionary biology, highlighting the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers. The establishment of the Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology (CeMEB) has played a crucial role in studying evolutionary processes in the marine environment under global change, with contributions from researchers worldwide. This Special Issue provides a snapshot of the current state of the field and serves as an important foundation for future research.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariane G. Delaunay, Charlotte Brassey, Carl Larsen, Huw Lloyd, Robyn A. Grant
Summary: Facial bristles, one of the least studied feather types in avian species, have been characterized and their evolution described for the first time in this study. The presence, length, and shape of facial bristles varied within and between species, and were associated with species-specific ecological traits, especially nocturnality. These findings suggest that rictal bristles may have evolved in early birds and underwent multiple gains and losses throughout evolution.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Lydvina Meister, Hector Escriva, Stephanie Bertrand
Summary: The FGF signalling pathway plays crucial roles in controlling the fate of anterior paraxial mesoderm cells and the formation of the anterior notochord in vertebrates and cephalochordates. Inhibition of FGF signal pathway results in loss of structures and affects embryonic development.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henry Gee
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henry Gee, Rory Howlett
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henry Gee
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henry Gee
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ewen Callaway
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
H Gee
