Reviews & Analysis

The immune system must distinguish self from non-self, but an imbalanced reaction in either direction can lead to immunopathology or severe infection. A new model incorporating host life history predicts which error will be more tolerated.

Nearly ten years after the field of primate archaeology was first proposed, the status of the field is reported on, including recent discoveries as well as future directions and challenges, marking the end of archaeology’s ‘anthropocentric era’.

Bayesian phylogenetic methods are very popular among evolutionary biologists and ecologists. This Review summarizes the major features of Bayesian inference and discusses several practical aspects of Bayesian computation.

A new theoretical study warns against common misinterpretations of classical ideas on the limits to species diversity.

The fertilization effect has the potential to limit the impacts of global warming, but the biosphere is likely to shift into a period in which this effect is saturated.

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.

Hunting in groups allows predators to forage more efficiently. Here, the authors outline a framework for evaluating social predation strategies according to five key behavioural dimensions.

Assessing development challenges for fisheries-dependent countries based on analyses of interactions and trade-offs between goals focusing on food, biodiversity and climate change.

Multiple interacting factors have contributed to the rapid decline of honeybee populations worldwide. Here, the authors review the impact of parasites and pathogens, and how ecological and evolutionary principles can guide management practices.

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.

Our understanding of how species diversity is maintained depends on spatial scale. Here, the coexistence–area relationship is developed to understand scale dependence and increase community ecology’s contribution to biodiversity conservation.

Bisulfite sequencing is widely used to study genome-scale DNA methylation. In this Review, the authors discuss methodological and statistical considerations related to bisulfite sequencing that are particularly relevant when studying non-model organisms.

The evolution of complex adaptations poses conceptual challenges. Here, the authors discuss adaptive and non-adaptive scenarios in the evolution of complex adaptations and propose molecular mechanisms that provide access to new adaptive paths.

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.