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A Mutation Turned Ants Into Parasites in One Generation

May 8, 2023

A new genetics study of ant “social parasites” shows how complex sets of features can emerge rapidly and potentially split species.

How a Human Smell Receptor Works Is Finally Revealed

May 1, 2023

After decades of frustration, researchers have determined how an airborne scent molecule links to a human smell receptor.

How Pools of Genetic Diversity Affect a Species’ Fate

April 25, 2023

A new, deeper understanding of how the breeding structure of species affects their genetic diversity is giving conservationists better tools for saving animals.

Why the Brain’s Connections to the Body Are Crisscrossed

April 19, 2023

In all bilaterally symmetrical animals, from humans down to simple worms, nerves cross from one side of the body to the opposite side of the brain. Geometry may explain why.

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She Tracks the DNA of Elusive Species That Hide in Harsh Places

April 17, 2023

On Mount Everest and in the Peruvian Andes, Tracie Seimon uses DNA to study how species and ecosystems respond to climate change, pathogens and other influences.

Primitive Asgard Cells Show Life on the Brink of Complexity

April 11, 2023

As researchers race to cultivate more of the intriguing cells from the deep seafloor, the few cells now growing in labs are giving us our best glimpses of the forerunners of all complex life.

Animal Mutation Rates Reveal Traits That Speed Evolution

April 5, 2023

The first large-scale comparison of mutation rates gives insights into how quickly species can evolve.

What Has the Pandemic Taught Us About Vaccines?

April 5, 2023

Should Covid-19 vaccines be judged by how well they prevent disease or how well they prevent death? Anna Durbin, a public health expert and vaccine researcher, talks with Steven Strogatz about the science behind vaccines.

How a DNA ‘Parasite’ May Have Fragmented Our Genes

March 30, 2023

A novel type of “jumping gene” may explain why the genomes of complex cells aren’t all equally stuffed with noncoding sequences.

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