Evolutionary Biology

CLOCK evolved in cnidaria to synchronize internal rhythms with diel environmental cues

1. Raphael Aguillon
2. Mieka Rinsky
3. Noa Simon-Blecher
4. Tirza Doniger
5. Lior Appelbaum
6. Oren Levy

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This fundamental study for the first time defines genetically the role of the Clock gene in basal metazoa, using the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. With convincing evidence, the study provides insight into the early evolution of circadian clocks. Clock in this species is necessary for daily rhythms under constant conditions, but not under a rhythmic light/dark cycle, suggesting that the major role of the circadian oscillator in this species could be a stabilizing function under non-rhythmic environmental conditions.

Reviewed by eLife

Gene family expansions underpin context-dependency of the oldest mycorrhizal symbiosis

1. Damian J. Hernandez
2. Gwendolyn B. Pohlmann
3. Michelle E. Afkhami

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Experimental evolution for the recovery of growth loss due to genome reduction

1. Kenya Hitomi
2. Yoichiro Ishii
3. Bei-Wen Ying

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is an important study of the recovery of genome-reduced bacterial cells in laboratory evolution experiments, to understand how they regain their fitness. Through the analysis of gene expression and a series of tests, the authors present convincing evidence indicating distinct molecular changes in the evolved bacterial strains, although the precise mechanisms remain uncharacterized. These findings imply that diverse mechanisms are employed to offset the effects of a reduced genome, offering intriguing insights into genome evolution.

Reviewed by eLife

Genomic signatures associated with the evolutionary loss of egg yolk in parasitoid wasps

1. Xianxin Zhao
2. Yuanyuan Liu
3. Bo Yuan
4. Zhichao Cao
5. Yi Yang
6. Chun He
7. Kevin C. Chan
8. Shan Xiao
9. Haiwei Lin
10. Qi Fang
11. Gongyin Ye
12. Xinhai Ye

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

CAnDI: a new tool to investigate conflict in homologous gene trees and explain convergent trait evolution

1. Holly M Robertson
2. Joseph F Walker
3. Edwige Moyroud

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Evolutionary trade-offs in dormancy phenology

1. Théo Constant
2. F Stephen Dobson
3. Caroline Habold
4. Sylvain Giroud

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This valuable and ambitious review examines seasonal dormancy in various species, including hibernating mammals (excluding bats and bears) and ectotherms. It provides a solid test of hypotheses on dormancy timing, considering energetic constraints and life history as alternative drivers. The review will be of interest to evolutionary biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Environmentally regulated clonal-aggregative multicellularity in a choanoflagellate

1. Núria Ros-Rocher
2. Josean Reyes-Rivera
3. Uzuki Horo
4. Chantal Combredet
5. Yeganeh Foroughijabbari
6. Ben T. Larson
7. Maxwell C. Coyle
8. Erik A.T. Houtepen
9. Mark J. A. Vermeij
10. Jacob L. Steenwyk
11. Thibaut Brunet

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

A long non-coding RNA at the cortex locus controls adaptive colouration in butterflies

1. Luca Livraghi
2. Joseph J. Hanly
3. Elizabeth Evans
4. Charlotte J. Wright
5. Ling S. Loh
6. Anyi Mazo-Vargas
7. Kiana Kamrava
8. Alexander Carter
9. Eva S.M. van der Heijden
10. Robert D. Reed
11. Riccardo Papa
12. Chris D. Jiggins
13. Arnaud Martin

Reviewed by preLights

Does the seed fall far from the tree? Weak fine-scale genetic structure in a continuous Scots pine population

1. Alina K. Niskanen
2. Sonja T. Kujala
3. Katri Kärkkäinen
4. Outi Savolainen
5. Tanja Pyhäjärvi

Reviewed by Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology

Stochastic parabolic growth promotes coexistence and a relaxed error threshold in RNA-like replicator populations

1. Mátyás Paczkó
2. Eörs Szathmáry
3. András Szilágyi

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study provides a valuable theoretical exploration of non-enzymatic sustained replication of RNA systems, in the parabolic growth regime of the evolution of putative primordial replicators. It provides convincing evidence that parabolic growth mitigates the error threshold catastrophe, thus demonstrating another way in which this regime contributes to the maintenance of genetic diversity. The findings shed light on relevant evolutionary regimes of primordial replicators, with potential applicability to our understanding of the origin of life.

Reviewed by eLife