Evolutionary Biology

Evolutionary Biology

eLife reviews research spanning behavior, morphology, evolution of developmental processes, palaeontology, experimental evolution and evolutionary theory. Learn more about what we review and sign up for the latest research.
Illustration by Davide Bonazzi

Latest articles

    1. Developmental Biology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    A novel gene REPTOR2 activates the autophagic degradation of wing disc in pea aphid

    Erliang Yuan, Huijuan Guo ... Yucheng Sun
    The novel function of the evolutionarily conserved nutrient-sensing pathway TOR in the wing disc-specific autophagic degradation and development of wingless aphids.
    1. Evolutionary Biology
    2. Genetics and Genomics

    The lingering effects of Neanderthal introgression on human complex traits

    Xinzhu Wei, Christopher R Robles ... Sriram Sankararaman
    1. Developmental Biology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    Ectodermal Wnt signaling, cell fate determination, and polarity of the skate gill arch skeleton

    Jenaid M Rees, Victoria A Sleight ... J Andrew Gillis
    Spatially distinct ectodermal Wnt and endodermal Shh signals serve to polarize the skate gill skeleton.
    1. Ecology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    The deep-rooted origin of disulfide-rich spider venom toxins

    Naeem Yusuf Shaikh, Kartik Sunagar
    A remarkable case of the common evolutionary origin of a prominent spider venom component.
    1. Evolutionary Biology
    2. Microbiology and Infectious Disease

    Rescue of Escherichia coli auxotrophy by de novo small proteins

    Arianne M Babina, Serhiy Surkov ... Michael Knopp
    1. Evolutionary Biology
    2. Genetics and Genomics

    Limited role of generation time changes in driving the evolution of the mutation spectrum in humans

    Ziyue Gao, Yulin Zhang ... Priya Moorjani
    A new framework for mutation spectrum analysis reveals multiple independent changes in the germline mutation patterns of human populations, which cannot be explained by shifts in average ages at reproduction.
    1. Cell Biology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    Epidermal threads reveal the origin of hagfish slime

    Yu Zeng, David C Plachetzki ... Douglas Fudge
    The hagfish slime glands, which produce a large volume of defensive slime within 0.4 s by ejecting threads and mucus into seawater, evolved from cells and genes expressed in the skin.
    1. Evolutionary Biology

    Dating the origin and spread of specialization on human hosts in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

    Noah H Rose, Athanase Badolo ... Carolyn S McBride
    1. Evolutionary Biology
    2. Genetics and Genomics

    Structural screens identify candidate human homologs of insect chemoreceptors and cryptic Drosophila gustatory receptor-like proteins

    Richard Benton, Nathaniel J Himmel
    A new screening strategy for divergent homologs of insect odorant and gustatory receptors, based upon predicted three-dimensional structural similarity, unexpectedly identifies candidates in humans.
    1. Evolutionary Biology
    2. Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics

    Hierarchical sequence-affinity landscapes shape the evolution of breadth in an anti-influenza receptor binding site antibody

    Angela M Phillips, Daniel P Maurer ... Michael M Desai
    An anti-influenza receptor binding site antibody acquires breadth through hierarchical sets of epistatic mutations distributed across the light and heavy chains, demonstrating how mutations can interact to shape the evolution of antibody breadth in various antigen exposure regimens.

Highlights

    1. Developmental Biology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    Natural History of Model Organisms: E. coqui

    Sarah E Westrick, Mara Laslo, Eva K Fischer
    1. Ecology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    Plant Biology: Hiding in plain smell

    Youngsung Joo, Meredith C Schuman

Senior editors

  1. Claude Desplan
    New York University, United States
  2. Christian R Landry
    Université Laval, Canada
  3. Sara L Sawyer
    University of Colorado Boulder, United States
  4. See more editors