Category: speciation

But then how separate are these bear species, really?

“… while polar bears evolved into a distinct species as many as 4-5 million years ago, the animals may have interbred with brown bears until much more recently.” (Like today.) more

Newly identified bee likes … human sweat

Seriously, there are 250 native species of bee found in New York City, though the sweat bee is surely one of the few that is there “just for the people, they’re the salt of the Earth. ” more

Speciation: For head and body lice, it never really happened – as was once believed

… speciation can actually be quite difficult, and may never really finally happen … more

Ring species do not demonstrate textbook Darwinism after all?

“Our results show that the ring-species model does not adequately describe the evolution of the herring gull group.” more

Bizarre new shark species spotted …

“The photophore contains a unique lens structure that focuses the light it produces. So strongly focused is the light, in fact, that it can be used in prey capture by the shark” more

Life forms that remain unclassified

“the Doushantuo rock formation contains billions of microfossils, many of which have no traits that are diagnostic of any living group and contain features that are not of biological origin” more

Speciation: Unprecedented number of hybrid sharks

“”Wild hybrids are usually hard to find, so detecting hybrids and their offspring is extraordinary.” more

That carnivorous plant guy (in Germany) speaks out about dumb speciation theories

“The original species had a greater genetic potential to adapt to all possible environments. ” more

New butterfly species – that look just like other species – identified by DNA

Incidentally, some butterfly caterpillars can look completely different during different instars (moltings of skin, revealing the “new look” underneath). more

Speciation in bats: Answering questions without really asking them

For this finding to count as an actual explanation, the researchers must first establish that any life form can speciate limitlessly, offered the opportunity. more

Why does one little species of poison dart frogs feature ten different patterns?

Genetic drift is the suggested answer, but it doesn’t explain how the information came to exist. more

Speciation: Epigenetically inherited centromeres may help form new species?

“Despite being up to several million DNA building blocks in size, centromeres can “jump” to other positions without causing the DNA to move.” more

What the textbooks know that ain’t so: No consistent relationship between biodiversity and productivity

“No consistent relationship” means that Darwinism may be the wrong lens. more

Speciation: The triumph of hope over evidence

“But throughout 150 years of the science of bacteriology, there is no evidence that one species of bacteria has changed into another … ” more

New species of mountain butterfly appears to be successful hybrid

Hybridization seems to a limited but durable method of producing a new species under favorable conditions. more

Nile crocodiles swam to Caribbean?

In “Nile crocodile is two species” (Nature, September 14, 2011), Ed Yong reports, he iconic Nile crocodile actually comprises two different species — and they are only distantly related. The large east African Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is in fact more closely related to four species of Caribbean crocodile than to its small west African… more

Przewalski’s horse species older than thought?

It’s not clear to what extent Przewalski’s horse really is a separate species. But if people thought so, they were more likely to take action to preserve it, and we can be glad for that. more

Can size difference generate new species?

What size difference can do is keep speciation from reversing itself. more

New count method puts species totals much higher – but Brit toff says something stupid about it

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But we bet that the toff rehearsed his signature line all morning. A better Britain needs smarter toffs. more

Speciation: More new species discovered – really?

At Eurekalert ( 7-Jul-2011), we learn: Jewel beetles, obtained from local people, turn out to be 4 species unknown to science A team of researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences discovered four new species of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) from South-eastern Asia. This family of beetles is named for their particularly beautiful body and… more

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