What happens if a shark suddenly finds itself with an abundance of food? Does it grow more rapidly, produce more offspring, or become better equipped to handle environmental stress? These aren’t just intriguing questions; they are vital for conservation efforts. Our recent research reveals that elasmobranchs (the group that includes sharks, skates and rays) don’t…
Tag: science
Tiny tubeworms, big warnings: life-history clues in changing estuaries
If you want to know how an ecosystem is faring, look to its smallest residents. In estuarine and coastal habitats—those margins between land and sea where life can be tough—marine tubeworms are quietly revealing more than just their presence. They may be offering early warnings that a habitat is heading towards collapse. Shifting traits, hidden…
Shaping the pace-of-life: what’s the role of development in evolution?
Mainstream evolution theory suggests that genes and the environment shape how organisms look and behave, but how they grow up also matters. What is the gene-centred view of evolution? The gene-centric view of evolution assumes that genes in interaction with the environment determine how living organisms look and behave. This theory is also known as gene selection…
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