Common ancestor eels lost the aquaporin gene encoding proteins with broad solute permeability. Researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo have now found that recent gene duplication events in the European eel (Anguilla species) have restored aquaporin proteins with broad solute permeability. The genes aqp10.2b2 and aqp10.2b3 represent a fascinating example of birth-and-death evolution, in which genes undergo loss of function, duplication, mutation, and functional diversification.

A newly discovered, carnivorous lizard ostensibly represents what most casual onlookers would perhaps perceive to be a dinosaur; however, it is in fact a precursor of the modern crocodile.

When bumble bees fight invasive Argentine ants for food, bees may win an individual skirmish but end up with less to feed the hive.

A new study shows, for the first time, that cow cells can naturally become immortal—continuing to divide indefinitely without genetic modification or any abnormal transformation. This overturns long-held assumptions that bovine cells could only be immortalized through gene editing, providing a safe, stable, and scalable source of cells for cultivated beef production. The finding removes one of the biggest technical and regulatory barriers to producing affordable cultivated beef, a potential game-changer for creating sustainable, ethical meat without the environmental toll of traditional livestock farming.

University of Iowa biologists discovered that a New Zealand freshwater snail duplicated its entire genome, capturing a rare evolutionary transitory state. The finding shows how large-scale genetic events can generate the raw material needed to fuel significant new adaptations and innovations in animals. Results appear in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.