evolution

In very early life, sleep helps build the brain’s infrastructure, but it then takes on an entirely new decluttering role, research shows.

Two UCLA studies of ocean mollusks shed light on how new species may emerge through a phenomenon known as host-switching.

UCLA’s Daniel Fessler explains why staying away from each other seems so tough, even when we know it will save lives.

The findings have implications for the conservation of rare and endangered species, in which low genetic diversity could increase the odds of extinction.

“Today’s rich biodiversity among marine fish shows the fingerprints of the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period,” said Michael Alfaro, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

The study, by UCLA and the University of Wisconsin, was based on analysis of specimens more than 3 billion years old.

UCLA research shows that the changes have had a dramatic effect on Colpichthys hubbsi, a species that lives only in the region near the Sea of Cortez.

UCLA research findings show changes in same genes that clipped the sea bird’s wings cause human bone disorders.

Studying the animals’ bones, UCLA biologists found injuries to shoulders and backs after likely attacks on large prey.

The Norman Sprague Professor of Biological Chemistry at the School of Medicine gives the UCLA Faculty Research Lecture on Oct. 13.

UCLA biologists write that the findings should help guide how endangered species are treated.

Denisovans, ancient hominids who lived alongside humans and Neanderthals, were first described in 2010 through DNA extracted from remains in a Siberian cave in 2008.

The animals, which are related to spiders and scorpions, “look terrifying, but are actually delicate, timid and afraid of you,” says UCLA doctoral candidate Kenneth Chapin.

These changes could potentially lead to various developmental disorders and other health risks.

Archaeologist Matthew Curtis was part of a team that recently discovered a skeleton that yielded the first complete ancient genome ever found in Africa.

Life scientists from UCLA and other universities in the U.S. and England argue that predatory animals helped keep the population of large herbivores in check.

The presence of humans changes the way animals behave, and those changes may make them more vulnerable.

UCLA biologists have found that male aggression against potential rivals for females explains much of the phenomenon.

Darwin’s writings focused much more on species that had changed over time than on those that hadn’t. So how do scientists explain a species living for so long without evolving?

A team of life scientists has found part of the answer: The amount and intensity of striping in different zebra populations can be best predicted by temperature.

In a day-long event, renowned scientists will highlight and celebrate the monumental contributions of Wallace, at one time the most famous scientist in the world.

Thomas Smith of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability says the next great extinction could be upon us, but humans can help threatened species survive.

UCLA professor Tom Smith says human-driven evolution is creating drug-resistant diseases, pesticide-proof bugs and mass extinctions due to climate change. "We can either choose to manage evolutionary processes or not, but evolutionary change will proceed regardless."

Drug-resistant diseases, pesticide-resistant bugs and animals threatened by climate change are signs of human-driven evolution getting out of control. A multi-university team calls for solutions.

Identifying enzyme catalysts that improve the speed and efficiency of the drug-production process can be a major boon. Figuring out exactly why a particular enzyme works so well, UCLA researchers say, is an altogether different quest.