Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Filtered by: Ecology & Evolution
Were humans responsible for Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in South America?
The central role of humans in the Quaternary megafaunal extinctions in South America have been little considered by archaeologists. Based on temporal and spatial distributions of megafauna and Fishtail spear points, we propose that humans were the main (not the unique) factor driving the collapse.
A metric for spatially explicit contributions to science-based species targets
We know that there are a great many species at risk of extinction, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of action needed to conserve them. Where do we start tackling the pressures that are threatening these species, and encourage as many sectors as possible to act?
A machine-learning approach to phylogenetic tree inference
The following two fields have barely interacted before: artificial intelligence and molecular evolution. To demonstrate proof of concept, we established a machine-learning-based framework that substantially boosts tree-search algorithms, without compromising accuracy!
A timeframe for human evolution
A precise timeframe for human evolution is fundamental to contextualise key events that occurred during the evolution of our lineage. Our new phylogenetic study dates specific speciation events and provides important insights into body mass and encephalization trends in human evolution.
Enough oxygen to breathe in the future Baltic Sea?
In many coastal seas nutrient pollution caused severe oxygen depletion. We have therefore carried out future projections of one of them, the Baltic Sea, and examined the questions of when and where the first signs of improvement will emerge if the anthropogenic nutrient loads are further reduced.
New proteins from nowhere -- how evolution shapes the structure and function of a newly emerged protein in flies
By Andreas Lange, Prajal H. Patel and Geoffrey D. Findlay. In a collaboration that spanned three continents, we analysed the structure, function, and evolutionary history of a Drosophila protein that emerged from previously non-coding DNA and has since become essential for male fertility.
