Finch embryos are laid at an earlier stage than other avian embryos and contain cells with similar properties to pluripotent embryonic stem cells from mice.
The ability to quickly re-acquire a previously lost motor skill is associated with lasting synaptic changes in the brain circuit that controls that motor skill.
A forebrain nucleus contributes specifically to the variability of syllable sequencing in songs of Bengalese finches, a songbird with complex syntactic song structure.
Identification of central neural circuits and sensory pathways underlying social-sexual modulation of sperm ejection in female Drosophila unraveled cryptic mate choice, a mechanism of post-copulatory sexual selection.
Glen Wheeler, Takahiro Ishikawa ... Nicholas Smirnoff
Genomic evidence suggests that L-gulonolactone oxidase-the terminal enzyme in vitamin C synthesis, which has been repeatedly lost throughout animal evolution-was lost in plants and other photosynthetic eukaryotes following plastid acquisition.
A study that models the evolution of drug resistance in tumors reveals that drugs are more effective when given in combination than sequentially, and that cure is much more likely when the drugs target different pathways.
Kyra Hermanns, Marco Marklewitz ... Sandra Junglen
Analysis of naturally infected mosquitoes shows that ecosystem disturbance can lead to a turnover in host community composition and that more individuals of a single species are a key driver of virus emergence.
Cristina M Robinson, Kate T Snyder, Nicole Creanza
A longer birdsong-learning window evolves in response to sexual selection for song complexity and is associated with faster evolution of song performance characteristics.
Adam L Hughes, Casey E Hughes ... Daniel E Gottschling
A new mitochondrial protein degradation pathway selectively sorts and destroys a subset of the mitochondrial membrane proteome to protect mitochondria in times of stress.
