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Evolution & Behaviour

showing 1-5 of 165 breaks

Cicada emergence alters forest food webs

During a periodical cicada emergence, millions upon millions of shrimp-like insects synchronously crawl out of their burrows after 13 or 17 years underground, molt into winged adults, and briefly saturate the local landscape, providing food for a wide range of generalist predators. Despite centuries of... click to read more

  • Martha Weiss | Professor at Georgetown University
  • John Lill | Professor at George Washington University
Views 304
Reading time 3.5 min
published on Jan 31, 2025
Size does not matter: direct estimations of mutation rates in baleen whales

Mutations drive evolution and thus knowing how often they occur is fundamental to studying biology. Several methods are available to estimate mutation rates, among which phylogenetic estimates are the most common. In essence, this method consists of counting the number of differences in the DNA... click to read more

Views 201
Reading time 4 min
published on Jan 29, 2025
The Claws and the Spear: New Evidence of Neanderthal-Cave Lion Interactions

Felids, ranging from domestic cats to majestic tigers and lions, have wielded a profound influence on human culture throughout history. This impact can be traced back to prehistoric times when European foragers shared their environment with large cats like cave lions (Panthera spelaea), which are... click to read more

Views 691
Reading time 3.5 min
published on Jan 22, 2025
A deep-sea spa: the key to the pearl octopus’ success

In 2018, scientists exploring the base of an inactive undersea volcano off California were startled to discover a massive breeding ground for deep-sea octopuses. As many as 20,000 pearl octopuses (Muusoctopus robustus) were found at this “Octopus Garden” 3 kilometers underwater, in the largest known... click to read more

Views 323
Reading time 3.5 min
published on Jan 20, 2025
Feisty fish and birds with attitude: Why does evolution not lead to identical individuals?

 “Survival of the fittest” is synonymous with adaptive evolution. This catchy phrase suggests that all individuals within a population become identical over time by developing “THE fittest” heritable traits. Yet, in nature, we observe many differences between individuals. For example, sticklebacks (tiny fish) in the... click to read more

Views 1345
Reading time 3 min
published on Aug 31, 2024