Evolution refers to the observed changes in successive generations of biological organisms due to heritable components (genes and DNA). Charles Darwin proposed a major mechanism of evolution: natural selection.
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Do men have more extreme variations than women?
This question was considered unsuitable for Skeptics and I think it is more suited to BIology than Cognitive Sciences
I was reading this article which I found interesting. It is not supported with ...
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272 views
Did human hairs actually evolve from scales?
What is the evolution of hairs? Did they evolve from scales?
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What is the closest species to humans in animal kingdom?
I presumed chimpanzees were the closest relatives of us. However, after watching this TED Talk, it seems bonobos are closer to us both in skeleton and behavioral similarity than chimpanzees. I once ...
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What are the evolutionary niches differentiating an apple from a pear?
So, as far as I understand (basic) evolutionary theories, diversity is generated by "niching." That is, if there is an environmental factor that hasn't been fully used by any species to "profit" off, ...
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Why do pandas have a high probability of giving birth to twins?
According to the BBC documentary "Wild About Pandas", about half of panda birth result in twins. Why do they have such a high probability compared to other mammals? What factor(s) control that ...
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Good source that explains the evolution of single-celled organisms “from scratch”
Are there any books or sites that detail, step-by-step, the evolution of the first single-celled organisms (bacteria, archaea) from a Miller-Urey-like beginning? That is, assumes only amino acids, ...
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323 views
Why are there nail growth differences between humans and other mammals?
When a cat is growing, his nails are growing with him to some extent. A grown cat has a fixed nail length that is not extending.
By contrast, human finger nails just keep on growing, so we have to ...
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Is there evidence that some non-human species perform sexual selection based primarily on intelligence? How do they do this?
I'm a biology amateur, but it seems like sexual selection is almost always performed based on physical characteristics, the outcome of physical contests, or some sort elaborate courtship. But do any ...
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397 views
Why do some plant species have lobed leaves, while similar species in the same habitat don't?
Some plants have lobed leaves, like the English oak (Quercus robur), while other plants growing the same deciduous woodland habitats, and very often growing alongside oaks, such as the European beech ...
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Why did the process of sleep evolve in many animals? What is its evolutionary advantage?
The process of sleep seems to be very disadvantageous to an organism as it is extremely vulnerable to predation for several hours at a time. Why is sleep necessary in so many animals? What advantage ...
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Why would stablising selection ever happen?
If the aim of evolution is to allow an organism to better compete against rivals, why would stabilizing selection ever happen? If you're not selecting the most highly adapted competitors at either end ...
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What is the benefit for cells having the ATP production regulated in mitochondria compared to being from the nucleus?
Mitochondria have their own DNA and appear to be loosely connected to the nucleus and it role.
Why are the functions of mitochondria not in the nucleus? Why doesn't the nucleus control the ...
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Did researchers evolve multicellular yeast or did they just turn on multicellularity?
In this new paper "Experimental evolution of multicellularity" found via Ars Technica the researchers describe having developed multicellularity and apoptosis within 60 days from a unicellular yeast ...
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Abiogenesis: Beyond the research journals as a lead in to discussions on evolution
I just came across this abstract:
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are responsible for creating the pool of correctly charged aminoacyl-tRNAs that are
necessary for the translation of genetic ...
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Could an organism theoretically produce a metamaterial-like structure? [closed]
I'm curious to know if this is physically feasible because during my reading up on synthetic biology and just general research i realise that life is capable of producing some exquisitely complex ...
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146 views
Are there any pre-Holocene venomous animals?
The novel (and subsequently movie) Jurassic Park featured a dinosaur called Dilophosaurus, that was purported to be venomous and had an ability similar to that of the extant spitting cobra. ...
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543 views
Is there any evidence that sexual selection may lead to extinction of species?
Darwin suggested that sexual selection, especially by female choice, may counter natural selection. Theoretical models, such as a Fisherian runaway process, suggest that evolution of preference and ...
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Do large animals often evolve into smaller animals?
There are several examples where the largest animals were killed off preferentially due to a major ecological shift:
The KT extinction event
The Holocene extinction, as well as the major megafauna ...
