All Ecology & Evolution articles – Page 5
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NewsStudy reveals how parasites thrive by balancing specialisation with exploiting diverse species communities
A new study reveals that the prevalence of malaria-like blood parasites in birds increases with the number of species present in local bird communities. The findings indicate that parasites thrive when they can exploit a wide range of different bird species.
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NewsGenomic signatures of domestication in a fungus obligately farmed by leafcutter ants
Researchers have harnessed cutting-edge genome sequencing approaches to decode the genetic building blocks that comprise Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungus farmed by leafcutter ants.
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NewsAsteroid that doomed dinosaurs created fungus farming among ants
Scientists analyzed genetic data from 475 species of fungi and 276 species of ants to craft detailed evolutionary trees, allowing them to pinpoint when ants began cultivating fungi millions of years ago, a behavior that some ant species still exhibit today.
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NewsScientists study how a bacterium becomes a permanent resident in a fungus
To study the beginnings of endosymbiosis between two organisms, a team of researchers initiated such partnerships in the laboratory and observed what exactly happens at the beginning of a possible endosymbiosis.
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NewsWorld’s oldest cheese found with ancient mummies reveals origins of kefir
For the first time, scientists have successfully extracted and analyzed DNA from ancient cheese samples found alongside the Tarim Basin mummies in China, dating back approximately 3,600 years, suggesting a new origin for kefir cheese.
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NewsNew method sheds light on early cellular and metabolic evolution
Researchers have developed a pioneering method of analysis to investigate microfossils, by fixing them onto a specially coated glass slide (ITO-glass), allowing for integrated observations using both optical and electron microscopy.
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NewsScientists evolve microbial cultures that can sense pH changes
Scientists have successfully evolved microbial cultures that possess the ability to sense pH changes, enabling rapid responses to environmental fluctuations.
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NewsCells ‘repress’ genomic remnants of ancient viruses
Researchers have identified key cellular control sites that regulate gene expression and prevent the activation of ‘cryptic’ genomic regions, including ancient viral sequences.
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NewsCatalogue of fungi in China reveals new taxa of macrofungi from southern Xizang
During a field trip in July 2023 in the Himalayas, 882 specimens in six counties from the border area of Xizang, China were collected, among which 15 new macrofungal species were revealed and are described in the study.
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NewsResearchers uncover new infection-fighting molecules through ‘molecular de-extinction’
A new study has uncovered sequences for ancient antimicrobial agents in the genomic data of extinct species, offering new hope for the development of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral treatments.
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NewsIt’s the unchanging parts of the Covid virus we also need to pay attention to, study suggests
A new study demonstrates the value of surveillance for public health initiatives, while identifying stable parts of the virus as potential candidates for small molecule drugs and other drug development.
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NewsResearchers create new framework to understand how microbial communities emerge
Virtually all multicellular organisms on Earth live in symbiotic associations with very large and complex microbial communities known as microbiomes. New research has just been published aimed at offering a complete understanding how those relationships form.
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News‘Ice bucket challenge’ reveals that bacteria can anticipate the seasons
Bacteria use their internal 24-hour clocks to anticipate the arrival of new seasons, according to research carried out with the assistance of an ‘ice bucket challenge’.
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NewsBacterial cells transmit memories to offspring
Bacterial cells can “remember” brief, temporary changes to their bodies and immediate surroundings, a new study has found.
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NewsLocked in a glacier, viruses adapted to survive extreme weather
Ancient viruses preserved in glacial ice hold valuable information about changes in Earth’s climate, a new study suggests.
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NewsWhat microscopic fossilized shells tell us about ancient climate change
New research pairs sea surface temperatures with levels of atmospheric CO2 during the end of the Paleocene, showing the two were closely linked.
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NewsStudy reveals isolation, endogamy and pathogens in early medieval Spanish community
An archaeogenetic study sheds new light on the isolated medieval community Las Gobas in northern Spain. The researchers have identified the variola virus which can offer a new explanation on how smallpox entered Iberia.
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NewsCreature the size of a dust grain found hiding in California’s Mono Lake
Researchers have now found an unusual creature lurking in the shallows of Mono Lake — a choanoflagellate that could tell scientists about the origin of animals more than 650 million years ago.
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NewsNext time you beat a virus, thank your microbial ancestors
When you get infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it were passed down to us from our microbial ancestors. Two key elements of our innate immune system came from a group of microbes called Asgard archaea.
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NewsFungal discovery changes the way we understand Charles Darwin’s most beloved plant – the sundew
A new study has uncovered a symbiotic relationship that has evolved between Darwin’s favourite carnivorous plant and a specific type of fungus which lives inside it and helps it digest its prey.