Reviews & Analysis

A focus on sea anemones throws the classic concept of germ layer homology on its head, as cnidarians are found to possess the gene expression programmes for three, rather than two, germ layers.

Trace fossils from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil point to the existence of bioengineering meiofaunal animals prior to the ‘Cambrian Explosion’.

Female cuckoos use predator-like calls to manipulate their hosts and reveal a new world of deception.

Historical detective work reveals the ‘mother’s curse’ phenomenon in humans.

A global spatial analysis based on biophysical modelling identifies that vast swathes of the ocean are suitable for marine aquaculture development.

Long-term research has revealed that an extraordinary heatwave marked a critical transition in the ecology of an Antarctic desert.

A randomized controlled trial of a ‘payments for ecosystem services’ scheme in Uganda finds a significant reduction in deforestation, with cost-of-carbon savings greater than the price of the payments.

Genomes of multiple independently transitioned obligate symbionts reveal lineage-specific gene loss and unexpected gene retentions.

Across land, air and water, larger animals are generally faster, but only up to a certain point. A new study provides a unifying explanation for why this might be so.

The remarkable diversity in sperm morphology and performance in zebra finches is generated by a supergene on a sex chromosome and maintained by a heterozygous advantage.

Feedbacks between biological and economic systems can lead to persistent poverty traps for the world’s rural poor. A combination of economic, ecological and epidemiological modelling helps unravel how these feedbacks and traps occur.

A model of the genetic relationships between non-African populations unravels their deep roots and provides a springboard for future discoveries.

Female aggression is enhanced after mating. Genetic manipulation and behavioural observation show that the receipt of sperm, and a seminal fluid protein, enhances female Drosophila aggression towards other females.

Newly discovered filamentous fossils from 2.4-billion-year-old oceanic lavas suggest that eukaryotes of possible fungal affinity are much older than previously thought.

Destruction of seafloor habitat following a submarine volcanic eruption facilitates construction and recolonization by an intriguing new bacterial species.

A tribute to Ilkka Hanski. Empirical data modelling shows that molecular variation at a candidate gene within populations has consequences for metapopulation size and persistence.

Three new bivalve genomes are resources for comparative genomics over broad timescales, providing a glimpse into the evolution of understudied marine animals and their adaptations to extreme environments.

Primates, especially humans, have large brains and this is thought to reflect our level of cognitive complexity or ‘intelligence’. Could this all be down to what we eat?

Morphology and gene expression in mid-embryogenesis are highly conserved across species of the same phylum. In nematodes, developmental constraints, rather than natural selection, explain how this pattern was established during evolution.

A global analysis finds that tectonics, climate and mountains have jointly shaped the evolution of the world's terrestrial biodiversity into distinct biogeographical regions.