📄 Category

evolutionary biology

337 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

Signal, noise, and bias in phylogenetic inference:potential and limits to the resolution of phylogenetic trees in the phylogenomic era

This paper establishes a theoretical framework demonstrating that while phylogenetic signal and bias accumulate linearly with data size, stochastic noise accumulates nonlinearly, revealing that genome-scale datasets may still fail to resolve deep or rapid divergences when noise overwhelms signal or when systematic bias continuously outpaces signal accumulation.

Dornburg, A., Su, Z. T., Jin, Y., Fisk, N., Townsend, J. P.2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Phylogenomics of the mega genus Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) and implications for its infrageneric classification

This study reconstructs the most comprehensive plastid-based phylogenomic framework for the hyperdiverse orchid genus *Bulbophyllum* using 63 genes from 355 specimens, revealing five major evolutionary lineages and resolving previously unclear relationships within the Asian clade to provide a foundation for future taxonomic revision.

Nanjala, C., Simpson, L., Hu, A.-Q., Patel, V., Nicholls, J. A., Bent, S. J., Gale, S. W., Fischer, G. A., Goedderz, S. (…)2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Seasonal fluctuations in fitness result in severe reductions in effective population size

By simulating seasonally fluctuating selection in *Drosophila* populations using realistic genomic and demographic parameters, this study demonstrates that such temporal selection can reduce the genome-wide effective population size by approximately 50%, with the magnitude of reduction primarily driven by the allele frequency amplitude of the most strongly fluctuating loci.

Johnson, O. L., Tobler, R., Schmidt, J. M., Huber, C. D.2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Single cell sequencing during the entire life cycle reveals cell type diversity in Oikopleura dioica, and pools of genes expressed in the house-producing epithelium

This study utilizes single-cell sequencing across the entire life cycle of the larvacean *Oikopleura dioica* to map its cellular diversity and characterize the molecular signatures of the specialized house-producing epithelium, thereby providing a critical resource for understanding chordate evolution and organ morphogenesis.

Leon, A., Henriet, S., Lagman, D., Martin, S. B., Canal, A., Alleon, G., Lenfant, C., Aasjord, A. E., Chourrout, D.2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Evolution of recombination suppression and sex determination on Y chromosomes of the plant genus Mercurialis

By analyzing high-quality genome assemblies and population data across the *Mercurialis* genus, this study reveals that the *M. annua* Y chromosome evolved through two distinct stages of recombination suppression involving a recent inversion and an older degenerated stratum, while identifying *APRR7* as a conserved candidate master sex-determination gene.

Gerchen, J. F., Jeffries, D. L., Grob, S., Mac, V., Pannell, J. R.2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Bridgehead invasions of ambrosia beetles are structured by inbreeding and hybridisation

This study reveals that global invasions of the ambrosia beetle *Euwallacea fornicatus* are structured by a dominant, genetically depauperate lineage derived from a bridgehead population, while subsequent hybridization with local lineages in regions like South Africa facilitates the purging of deleterious mutations, thereby enhancing the biosecurity threat posed by these invasive beetles.

Schmidt, T., Bierman, A., Huisamen, E. J., Terblanche, J. S., Hoffmann, A. A.2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Limited genetic structure and high gene flow in Fasciola hepatica populations infecting ruminants in different geographic areas in the UK

This study utilized a validated multiplex deep amplicon sequencing assay to demonstrate that *Fasciola hepatica* populations infecting UK ruminants exhibit limited genetic structure and high gene flow across geographic regions, likely driven by livestock movement and parasite adaptation.

Abbas, M., Kozel, K., Selemetas, N., Daramola, O., Morgan, E. R., Chaudhry, U., Betson, M.2026-04-01
📄 evolutionary biology

Beyond Fixation: Persistent Genetic Variation Under Intense Selection

Using long-term experimental evolution in *Drosophila melanogaster*, this study demonstrates that substantial genetic variation persists under intense directional selection through balancing-selection mechanisms, enabling rapid phenotypic reversal and the redeployment of hidden low-frequency alleles when selection regimes are switched.

Arnold, K. R., Greenspan, Z. S., Robinson, R. D., Pupo, A., Chavarin, V. V., Chang, K. S., Cannell, C. O., Qi, M., Muell (…)2026-03-31