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.
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.
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.
Contrary to the expectation of rapid adaptive evolution at the host-parasite interface, this study reveals that the *Toxoplasma gondii* microneme proteins MIC13, MIC12, and MIC16 are primarily shaped by purifying selection and exhibit phylogenetic discordance rather than positive selection.
This study utilizes molecular data from under-sampled Afghan and Pakistani amphibians to demonstrate that the Hindu Kush mountain range, rather than the previously hypothesized Indus River Valley, serves as the primary biogeographic boundary separating the Palearctic and Oriental realms.
This study demonstrates that somatic Programmed DNA Elimination is widespread across the Rhabditidae family of free-living nematodes, having been identified in 17 out of 25 newly screened species and 12 of the 17 tested genera, thereby providing a diverse collection of genetically tractable models to investigate the mechanisms and evolutionary origins of this phenomenon.
By integrating phylogenomic data from 490 nuclear loci and mitochondrial genomes with a fossilized birth-death dating model, this study reveals that while the Cicadidae family originated in the Cretaceous, four of its five subfamilies underwent extensive worldwide diversification shortly after the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction.
This study demonstrates that genome architecture, specifically chromosome number and gene-gene interactions, jointly dictates the repeatability of polygenic adaptation, with high chromosome counts facilitating parallel evolutionary responses through recombination-driven assembly of coadapted alleles, whereas chromosomal fusions in low-count genomes can constrain repeatability by linking alternative haplotypes.
This study utilizes simulations to demonstrate that population genomic statistics, particularly Tajima's D and segregating sites, are effective tools for detecting mosquito population declines in cluster randomized control trials, recommending a design of 3 to 5 villages per arm to achieve adequate statistical power for monitoring genetic biocontrol interventions.
This paper proposes a framework integrating pharmacodynamics and population genetics to explain the non-repeatable and unidirectional patterns of collateral effects observed during drug resistance evolution, demonstrating how drug concentration and selection regimes critically influence these evolutionary outcomes.
WINDEX is a novel hierarchical method that integrates site- and window-based statistics to more accurately detect and localize adaptive mutations and estimate the proportion of genomes under positive selection compared to existing approaches.