For decades, scientists have tried to uncover the cause of long-term changes in Earth’s biodiversity. New simulations point at geography playing a critical role.
Temperature sensitivity makes western fence lizards vulnerable to climate change.
Greg Shine/BLM
From dark dragonflies becoming paler to plants flowering earlier, some species are slowly evolving with the climate. Evolutionary biologists explain why few will evolve fast enough.
Animal nervous systems may lose their adaptive edge with climate change.
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Rapidly changing temperatures and sensory environments are challenging the nervous systems of many species. Animals will be forced to evolve to survive.
Ivan Erill, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Researchers discovered a satellite virus latching onto the neck of another virus called MindFlayer. Studying the viral arms race between similar viruses could lead to new ways to fight infections.
Cancer cells don’t follow the typical rules that allow a multicellular collective to function.
Dr. Cecil Fox/National Cancer Institute
From math to evolutionary game theory, looking at cancer through different lenses can offer further insights on how to approach treatment resistance, metastasis and health disparities.
New research looks at how different species have managed to cross geographic barriers throughout history and whether their individual traits played a crucial role in these journeys.
Proboscideans and their tooth structures in various forms across 60 million years of evolution.
Illustration by Óscar Sanisidro. Author provided (no reuse)
A new cross-species study shows same-sex sexual behaviour has social benefits for groups, which explains its high frequency in humans and other mammals.
Marco Túlio Pacheco Coelho, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL); Catherine Graham, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York) et Dave Roberts, Montana State University
A new study reveals how the geography of global climates influences the rich patterns of species diversity in an ever-changing world.