Category: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

‘Fantastic giant tortoise,’ believed extinct, confirmed alive in the Galápagos

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By Liz Fuller-Wright A tortoise from a Galápagos species long believed extinct has been found alive and now confirmed to be a living member of the species. The tortoise, named Fernanda after her Fernandina Island Continue Reading →

Forecasting the next COVID-19

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Princeton disease ecologist C. Jessica Metcalf and Harvard physician and epidemiologist Michael Mina say that predicting disease could become as commonplace as predicting the weather. Continue Reading →

Probing the genetic basis for dog-human relationships

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By Pooja Makhijani A new study has identified genetic changes that are linked to dogs’ human-directed social behaviors and suggests there is a common underlying genetic basis for hyper-social behavior in both dogs and humans. Continue Reading →

Peter and Rosemary Grant receive Royal Medal in Biology

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PHOTO BY DENISE APPLEWHITE Peter Grant, the Class of 1877 Professor of Zoology, Emeritus, and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, emeritus, and B. Rosemary Grant, senior research biologist, emeritus, and a senior biologist in Continue Reading →

SIMON LEVIN wins National Medal of Science for unraveling ecological complexity

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Simon Levin, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, received a National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest scientific honor. Levin was honored at a White House ceremony in early Continue Reading →

Big answers from small creatures

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A graduate student tracks the spread of viruses from bats to humans in Madagascar By Cara Brook IT IS SPRINGTIME in the Makira-Masoala peninsula of northeastern Madagascar, and the lychee trees are in full fruit. Continue Reading →

Wild birds: A trip to the market reveals species imperiled

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THE SIGHT OF A SOUTHEAST ASIAN BIRD market rivals the din of one for being overwhelming. Thousands of wild-caught birds are packed into cages that hang from eaves and fill market stalls to the ceiling, Continue Reading →

Student identifies difference between the dinosaur sexes

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THE DISCOVERY OF A SINGLE ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCE between males and females of a species of Stegosaurus provides some of the most conclusive evidence that some dinosaurs looked different based on sex, according to research published Continue Reading →

Measles may weaken immune system up to three years

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THE MEASLES VIRUS can lead to serious disease in children by suppressing their immune systems for up to three years, according to a study published in the journal Science on May 8, 2015. The study Continue Reading →

SIMON LEVIN Receives Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement

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Simon Levin, the George M. Moffett Professor of Biology, was awarded the 2014 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for bridging ecological research and environmental policy, economics and social science. Levin received an award of $200,000 Continue Reading →

Striking resemblance: A physical law may govern very different biological activities

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FLOCKS OF BIRDS FLY ACROSS THE SKY in shifting configurations. In the retina of an eye, millions of neurons ignite in ever-changing combinations, translating light into meaningful images. Yet both of these seemingly random behaviors Continue Reading →

Africa’s poison ‘apple’ provides common ground for elephants and livestock

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AFRICAN WILDLIFE OFTEN RUN AFOUL of ranchers securing food and water resources for their animals, but the interests of fauna and farmer might finally be unified by the “Sodom apple,” a toxic invasive plant that Continue Reading →

Collective behavior could help animals survive a changing environment

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For social animals such as schooling fish, the loss of their numbers to human activity could eventually threaten entire populations, according to a finding that such animals rely heavily on grouping to effectively navigate their Continue Reading →

Far from random, evolution follows a predictable pattern

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Evolution, often perceived as a series of random changes, might in fact be driven by a simple and repeated genetic solution to an environmental pressure, according to new research. “Is evolution predictable? To a surprising Continue Reading →