📄 Category

evolutionary biology

399 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

Stable transformation of Micractinium conductrix SAG 241.80: New tools for exploring photosymbiotic interactions

This study establishes a stable transformation protocol for the *Paramecium bursaria* endosymbiont *Micractinium conductrix* SAG 241.80, providing essential molecular tools such as optimized regulatory sequences, selectable markers, and fluorescent reporters to enable the unambiguous tracking and genetic manipulation of algal symbionts within their host for advancing photosymbiosis research.

Savory, F. R., Attah, V., Killias, E. S., Richards, T. A.2026-02-02
📄 evolutionary biology

Splitting and filling the gaps: a reorganization of Corymbiglomeraceae and new taxa from trans-Pacific tropical regions

This study reorganizes the fungal family Corymbiglomeraceae by describing new genera and species from Mexico and French Polynesia, confirming the phylogenetic split of the genus *Redeckera* into distinct lineages including *Albocarpum* and *Pulvinocarpum*, while proposing a sporulation dimorphism in *Albocarpum* and identifying potential new families and genera within the order Diversisporales based on morphological and molecular analyses of eDNA sequences.

Crossay, T., Polo-Marcial, M. H., Esmaeilzadeh-Salestani, K., de Queiroz, M. B., de Lima, J. L. R., Lara-Perez, L. A., d (…)2026-01-30
📄 evolutionary biology

Gene-environment interactions govern early regeneration in fir and beech: evidence from participatory provenance trials across Europe

By combining controlled climate-chamber trials with a continental-scale citizen science experiment, this study reveals that while genotype-by-environment interactions drive germination and early development in fir and beech, post-establishment survival is primarily governed by site-level environmental filtering, highlighting a critical life-stage shift in the factors shaping forest regeneration.

Csillery, K., Charlet de Sauvage, J., Caduff, M., Alt, J., Bison, M., Celik, M., Ponta, N., Wegmann, D.2026-01-30
📄 evolutionary biology

Evolutionary rate covariation across malaria parasite species enables inference of protein interactions

This study demonstrates that analyzing evolutionary rate covariation across 22 *Plasmodium* species effectively identifies functionally linked proteins and prioritizes uncharacterized genes, such as PF3D7_0811600, for further experimental validation of their roles in malaria parasite biology.

Hopson, H., Omelianczyk, R., Ramirez, A., Little, J., Clark, N., Sigala, P. A., Leffler, E.2026-01-30
📄 evolutionary biology

Emergence and stabilisation of a neo-Y chromosome in nematode species with rare males

This study reveals that Mesorhabditis nematodes have evolved a degenerated neo-Y chromosome that accumulates male-beneficial genes and exhibits a strong fertilization drive, demonstrating that male-specific chromosomes can be maintained and stabilized even in autopseudogamous species where males are rare and genetically useless to offspring.

Letcher, B., Stevens, L., Saclier, N., Hsiao, A., Kieninger, M., Wenger, E., Launay, C., Blaxter, M., Delattre, M.2026-01-29
📄 evolutionary biology

The endoderm cell trajectory of urochordate Styela clava reveals the dual developmental origin and evolution of digestive tract

By employing single-cell RNA sequencing on the urochordate *Styela clava*, this study reveals that the chordate digestive tract originates from two distinct larval endodermal progenitor populations with conserved regulatory programs, suggesting a dual evolutionary origin for stomach and intestinal lineages.

Ge, Y., Zhang, W., Liu, P., Bi, J., Yu, H., Dong, B., Wei, J.2026-01-27