This Week in Evolution

Nels and Vincent discuss research on hidden evolutionary constraints that dictate the retention of coronavirus accessory gene, which was flagged by NIH as potentially dangerous gain-of-function resea…

Nels and Vincent review research on how neuropeptides influence the behavior of leafcutter ants, and regulate the different caste behaviors such as defenders, leaf foragers, brood care, and fungus fa…

Nels and Vincent discuss an ultra reduced archaeal genome, the closest cellular entity to date that approaches a viral strategy of existence.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Nels and Vincent review the properties of Mendel’s pea genes through the lens of modern genetic analysis.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Become …

Nels and Vincent explain the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Become a patron of TWiEVO

Nels and Vincent explain the ancient evolutionary origin of sex in cephalopods.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Become a patron of TWiEVO

Nels and Vincent explain how template switching during DNA replication is a widespread source of adaptive gene amplification.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Nels and Vincent reveal that worker ants amputate their colleagues injured leg to prevent infections.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Become a pa…

Nels and Vincent discuss the molecular and genetic origins of sex-linked orange coat color in cats.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Become a patr…

Nels and Vincent review the identification of a novel virus associated with the pathogen Plasmodium knowlsei and which is part part of a diverse and unclassified viral taxon.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vin…

Nels and Vincent discuss the origins of eukaryotes, with contributions from at least 3 bacteria (alphaproteobacteria) and a large contribution from DNA viruses with large genomes.

Hosts: Nels Elde an…

Nels and Vincent explain how homology searches of anti-phage systems in eukaryotic genomes can be used to discover proteins of the human immune system.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Nels and Vincent look at how plant prickles, sharp epidermal projections that provide defense from predators and other advantages, arose by convergent evolution, the emergence of analogous traits in …

Nels and Vincent discuss the genome sequence of an ancient wooly mammoth, which shows that the three-dimensional architecture of the DNA can persist after 50,000 years.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent R…

Nels and Vincent explore a direct experimental test of Ohno’s Hypothesis, which states that gene duplication can help genes tolerate new mutations and thus facilitates the evolution of new phenotypes…

Nels and Vincent explain how deep genomics of macroalgae illuminate multiple paths to aquatic, photosynthetic multicellularity.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Nels and Vincent review the genetic basis for tail-loss evolution in humans and apes.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Become a pa…

Nels and Vincent reveal how electric organ discharge from the electric eel facilitates the introduction of DNA into teleost larvae.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Rich Condit joins Nels and Vincent at the Science Mill in Johnson City, Texas, where Director of STEM Education Jeehyun Park talks about the goals of the childrens’ museum.

Hosts: Nels Elde, Vincent …

Nels and Vincent discuss how behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello