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Category Archives: mutation
The glaciers of the last ice age left their mark on the genetic diversity of species across the globe
For the last two and a half million years or so — up until a certain species of upright-walking ape descendants really started making their presence known — the greatest force shaping Earth’s biological diversity may well have been ice. … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, insects, mammals, mutation, phylogeography, plants, population genetics
Tagged glacier, Quaternary
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Can small populations benefit from genetic rescue?
The core dogma of conservation biology is clear: small populations are bad for species’ persistence. If we observe a population of endangered vertebrates harboring abundant deleterious mutations but without any reduction in fitness, what is happening there? I would like … Continue reading
Cricket Plays a Song of Systems Biology
Mina Momeni wrote this post as a final project for Stacy Krueger-Hadfield’s Science Communication course at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Mina earned her MS degree and is now a research technician at UAB in Dr. Nicole Riddle‘s lab. … Continue reading
Is the neutral theory dead?
You might have noticed how the world of genetics was shaking as the giants of theoretical population genetics started discussing some of the most fundamental questions in the arena of Twittersphere. This happened after the publication of Andrew Kern and Matthew … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, mutation, population genetics, selection, theory
Tagged neutral theory, selection
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At the molecular level, there's more than one way to fly higher
Parallel adaptation is coming into its own lately, as we’re increasingly able to examine the molecular changes underlying similar adaptations in distantly related species. A fundamental prediction of evolutionary theory is that species coping with the same environment should converge … Continue reading
Posted in birds, evolution, mutation, natural history, phylogenetics
Tagged adaptation, hemoglobin
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Visualizing the evolution of bacterial resistance
You have probably already seen this. It’s pretty amazing and beautiful and I watched it more than once (although I won’t say how many times….). If by some chance you didn’t catch this fantastic video, don’t fret, I’m here to … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, evolution, mutation
Tagged antibiotic resistance, E coli, superbug
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Microbes can rapidly evolve host-protective traits
One of the coolest studies I’ve come across so far this year is the fascinating story about microbe-mediated protection in worms by Kayla King et al. The bacterium Enterococcus faecalis normally causes mild disease in worms (Caenorhabditis elegans). After a week … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, microbiology, mutation
Tagged bacteria, competition, Evolution, experimental evolution, host-associated microbes, worms
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New insight into the genetic basis of industrial melanism
The evolution of coloration in peppered moths during the industrial revolution is one of the most well known examples of natural selection in action. Part of the appeal of the system is the apparent simplicity. The once-abundant light colored morph … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, association genetics, genomics, mutation, selection
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