📄 Category

evolutionary biology

389 papers

Evolutionary biology explores the dynamic history of life on Earth, tracing how species change, adapt, and diversify over time. This field investigates the mechanisms driving everything from the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria to the complex social behaviors of primates, revealing the deep connections that bind all living organisms together.

On Gist.Science, we ensure these groundbreaking discoveries remain accessible by processing every new preprint uploaded to bioRxiv in this category. Our team generates both plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries for each paper, bridging the gap between raw research and public understanding without requiring a specialized background.

Below are the latest studies in evolutionary biology, offering fresh insights into the ongoing story of life.

📄 evolutionary biology

Diversifying the Northern Neotropics: Phylogenomics and Evolutionary History of the Early-Diverging Herichthyine Cichlids Thorichthys and Trichromis

Using ultraconserved elements to construct a comprehensive phylogenomic framework, this study reveals that the diversification of early-diverging herichthyine cichlids (*Thorichthys* and *Trichromis*) in the northern Neotropics is driven by the interplay of geological restructuring, climatic oscillations, and ecological pressures, while uncovering unrecognized species diversity, uncertain boundaries, and the first evidence of ghost introgression in these fishes.

Elias, D. J., Alda, F., Betancourt-Resendes, I., Diaz-Flores, A., Dominguez-Dominguez, O., Rodriguez-Machado, S., Velasq (…)2026-06-05
📄 evolutionary biology

Loci under balancing selection facilitate the emergence of pseudo-overdominance and recombination suppression

This study demonstrates through individual-based simulations that loci under balancing selection facilitate the emergence of pseudo-overdominance by maintaining deleterious mutations and linkage disequilibrium, thereby promoting the evolution of recombination suppression to prevent the production of unfit homozygous recombinant offspring.

Guyot, L., Giraud, T., Jay, P.2026-06-04
📄 evolutionary biology

Quantitative genetics of lifetime growth curves in a lizard

This study applies a specialized quantitative genetics framework to analyze lifetime growth curves in the common lizard (*Zootoca vivipara*), revealing that genetic variation in the shape of growth trajectories—rather than just intrinsic size—drives adaptive potential, with distinct patterns observed across wild and mesocosm populations and between sexes.

Aragon, A., Rutschmann, A., Richard, M., Bestion, E., Pellerin, F., Winandy, L., San-Jose, L. M., Di Gesu, L., Darnet, E (…)2026-06-03
📄 evolutionary biology

Catch me if you can: Arabidopsis thaliana lags in adaptation to contemporary climate change

A meta-analysis of 1,600 Arabidopsis thaliana germplasm across 42 field trials reveals a significant thermal adaptation lag of over 1.91°C, indicating that even this highly adaptable species has failed to keep pace with recent climate change, resulting in a 14% cumulative fitness burden and a projected 30% loss in demographic potential by 2025 under moderate emissions scenarios.

Leventhal, L., Exposito-Alonso, M.2026-06-03
📄 evolutionary biology

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the Black-Footed Cat: Insights into Felis's Deadliest Predator

This study utilizes whole-genome sequencing of modern and museum specimens to reveal that black-footed cats possess low genetic diversity driven by historically small population sizes and recent contraction, yet exhibit greater range-wide connectivity than previously assumed, providing critical genomic insights for their conservation.

Grant, V. B., Hunnicutt, K., Schroeder, M., Küsters, M., Oppenheimer, J., Banerjee, S., Baczenas, J. J., Petrov, D., Bi (…)2026-06-02
📄 evolutionary biology

Expression-dependent but strand-independent synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism in the Escherichia coli chromosome

This study analyzes synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms across 157 *Escherichia coli* strains to demonstrate that specific mutation patterns are expression-dependent but strand-independent, providing evidence for the role of transcription-induced mutagenesis in shaping genomic variation.

Deka, N., Beura, P. K., Sen, P., Aziz, R., Kashyap, A., Keot, D., Jain, M., Namsa, N. D., Deka, R. C., Feil, E., Satapat (…)2026-05-26
📄 evolutionary biology

Global adaptation to climate change in the twilight zone revealed by shared signals of selection in mesopelagic lanternfishes

By analyzing whole-genome sequences of lanternfishes across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, this study reveals widespread shared genetic adaptations to climate change, identifying 34 candidate genes involved in responses to warming, ocean acidification, and hypoxia.

Cama, B., Tian, D., Siu, N., Frable, B., Prado, X., Yalisove, M., Smith, L., Dowlin, A., Johnsen, S., Salvanes, A. G. V. (…)2026-05-26