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Washington University in St. Louis News & Information > News Topics > Science & Technology >
Evolution
The theory of evolution, formalized by Charles Darwin, is the glue of most biological research. It is the unifying theme, whether a researcher is studying lizards in the Caribbean or sex genes of green algae in a Midwestern laboratory. In paleontology, evolution gives researchers a tool to organize what is left of the past to understand how all of life evolved. Washington university researchers in biology and earth and planetary science are making key contributions to the understanding of evolution.
| Faculty Experts: |
Showing Evolution Experts 1 through 5 of 10.
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Tiffany Knight
Assistant Professor of Biology
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| Knight |
Knight is an ecologist who studies the population ecology of rare and invasive plant species, and addresses questions related to the causes and consequences of their abundances and distributions. Why are some species rare, while their closely related congeners are widespread? How does dispersal ability ...
Expertise: Ecology, biology, plants, ecosystems, habitat
Direct contact: (314) 935-8282
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knight@wustl.edu
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Jonathan Chase
Associate Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences and director of Tyson Research Center
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| Chase |
Jonathan M. Chase, associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences and director of the university's Tyson Research Center, focuses his research on the rules (or lack thereof) underlying the diversity, distribution, and abundance of animal and plant species from the population/community/ecosystem ...
Expertise: biology, ecology, ecosystem, natural history, evolution, biodiversity, food webs, …
Direct contact: (314) 935-4105
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jchase@wustl.edu
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Ralph Quatrano
Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., is the Spencer T. Olin Professor in Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. He is internationally known for his plant science work on patterns of embryo formation, and how the patterns lead cells to acquire traits or ...
Expertise: Plants, plant biology, botany, moss, genome, algae, genes, …
Direct contact: (314) 935-6850
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rsq@wustl.edu
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Robert Sussman
Professor of Anthropology in Arts & Sciences
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| Sussman |
Sussman, a specialist in the ecology and social structure of primates, does extensive fieldwork in primate behavior and ecology in Costa Rica, Guyana, Madagascar and Mauritius. His groundbreaking study of two species was the subject of Marlin Perkins' documentary "Lemurs of Madagascar" in 1981. His ...
Expertise: Costa Rica, Guyana, Madagascar, Mauritius, behavior and evolution, conservation, early models, …
Direct contact: (314) 935-5264
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rwsussma@artsci.wustl.edu
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Alan Templeton
Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences
Templeton applies molecular genetic techniques and statistical population genetics to a variety of problems in evolutionary and conservation biology. He explores natural selection in various species, genetic variability, the role of lipid metabolic genes in coronary artery disease in humans, and the ...
Expertise: evolution of HIV, evolutionary and conservation biology, genetic variability, lipid metabolic genes, molecular genetics, natural selection
Direct contact: (314) 935-6868
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temple_a@biology.wustl.edu
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Showing Evolution Experts 1 through 5 of 10.
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| News Stories & Tip Sheets: |
Showing Evolution Stories 1 through 3 of 80.
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'McDonaldization' of frogs
Frog fungus hammering biodiversity of communities
Sept. 22,
2009 --
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| Photo by Roberto Brenes |
| Tiny frog killed by invasive fungus. |
Everyone knows that frogs are in trouble. But a recent analysis by Washington University in St. Louis researchers of data on Central American frogs collected by a University of Maryland colleague shows the situation is worse than had been thought. Under pressure from an invasive fungus, the frogs in this biodiversity hot spot are undergoing "a vast homogenization" that is leaving behind simpler communities that increasingly resemble one another. "We're witnessing the McDonaldization of the frog communities," comments Kevin G. Smith, Ph.D., the lead author of the analysis and associate director of Washington University's Tyson Research Center, a site the fungus has also reached.
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'Big Ideas'
What everyone should know about Earth sciences summarized in free NSF-funded e-booklet
June 5,
2009 --
If you're clueless about petrology, paleobiology and plate tectonics, the National Science Foundation and the Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI) have just released a free pamphlet offering a concise primer on what all Americans should know about the Earth sciences. "The Earth Science Literacy framework document of 'Big Ideas' and supporting concepts was a community effort representing the current state-of-the-art research in Earth sciences," said Michael E. Wysession, Ph.D., chair of ESLI and associate professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
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'Nurture, sustain a culture of scientific innovation'
Obama names WUSTL biologist to his science advisory council
May 7,
2009 --
President Obama has appointed Barbara A. Schaal, Ph.D., the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and vice president of the National Academy of Sciences, to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
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Showing Evolution Stories 1 through 3 of 80.
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New Clues to Sex Anomalies in How Y Chromosomes Are Copied
The New York Times
Sept. 16,
2009 -- Article looks at another David Page contribution to the science of genetics.
A weakness in the system that allows the male Y chromosome to protect and repair itself can explain an array of genetic sexual disorders.:
The palindromes were discovered in 2003 when the Y chromosome's sequence of bases, represented by the familiar letters G, C, T and A, was first worked out by David Page of the Whitehead Institute and colleagues at the DNA sequencing center at WUSTL medical school.
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Chimps use 'tool kits' to gather army ants
United Press International
and 3 others
Sept. 10,
2009 -- Researchers led by WUSTL anthropology professor Crickette Sanz in the Republic of Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park said they have discovered chimpanzees that have developed specialized "tool sets" to forage for army ants.
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Young Animals May Be Able to Erase Bad Memories
U.S. News & World Report online
and 5 others
Sept. 8,
2009 -- New Swiss research published in Science suggests that young animals may have a mechanism that allows them to jettison traumatic memories, but experts say it's unclear whether humans of any age can do the same. Includes comments by WUSTL psychology professor and memory specialist Mark McDaniel.
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(Un)wired For God
Newsweek
Aug. 13,
2009 -- Sharon Begley reports on new data in the debate on neurobiology and whether we are wired to believe in God.
In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul posits that, rather than being wired into the brain, religion is a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society -- the opium-of-the-people argument.
She mentions research by WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.
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Early human European diets studied
United Press International
and 4 others
Aug. 12,
2009 -- U.S. and Canadian scientists say data from human fossils suggest a shift in animal resource exploitation as humans spread into Europe 40,000 years ago.
There is little evidence for the regular eating of fish by the Neanderthals, but early humans consistently consumed fish, supplementing their diet.
This study by WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus a Canadian colleague was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Unfolding the mysteries of the brain
The Boston Globe
Aug. 3,
2009 -- Technological and computational advances have enabled researchers to image the brain's wrinkled exterior in stunning detail, mapping the size and shape of each fold. Scientists pursuing this new discipline of "cortical cartography'' expect it to yield insights into how the brain develops and what happens when things go awry. WUSTL neurobiologist David Van Essen comments.
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For Mars Rover, Really Remote Roadside Assistance
The Wall Street Journal
July 17,
2009 -- On Mars, NASA's robot rover Spirit is spinning its wheels on the soft shoulder of planetary exploration, up to its axles in silt millions of miles away from tense engineers who are struggling to extricate it by remote control. Includes comments by WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, who is the project deputy principal investigator.
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U.S. Astronauts Might Hitch Rides on Chinese Spacecraft
Space.com
April 17,
2009 -- The U.S. and China are exploring new ways to bridge U.S. moon exploration plans with China. Includes comments from WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson.
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Modern life's pressures may be hastening human evolution
Miami Herald online
and 23 others
April 13,
2009 -- Even today, scientists say that human beings are continuing to evolve as our genes respond to rapid changes in the world around us. WUSTL anthropology professor Robert Sussman comments.
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What lies in store for the Mars rovers?
MSNBC.com
and 1 others
March 31,
2009 -- Their 90-day warranty expired awhile ago, but NASA's twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are still trundling along the Martian surface en route to their next destinations more than five years after landing on the red planet. But just how long they can keep going is anyone's guess. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.
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Earth's Crust Melts Easier Than Previously Thought
ScienceDaily.com
and 1 others
March 24,
2009 -- A study just published in Nature has found that the Earth's crust melts easier than previously thought. This finding provides insight into how magmas are formed and will lead to better models of continental collision and the formation of mountain belts. The NSF study was co-authored by WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Anne Hofmeister.
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Diamonds show comet struck North America, scientists say
Los Angeles Times
and 1 others
Jan. 2,
2009 -- A discovery of microscopic diamonds a few feet beneath the surface of North America reveals that a comet caused a cataclysm of fire, flood and devastation nearly 13,000 years ago, scientists said. Includes comments by WUSTL physicist Tyrone Daulton.
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Lander data sheds light on Mars polar water
MSNBC.com
and 1 others
Dec. 16,
2008 -- Data from the now-defunct NASA Phoenix Mars Lander is shedding light on the current water cycle on Mars, particularly how water moves between the surface and the atmosphere in the northern polar region. It has a very active weather environment. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, who is the lead scientist for Phoenix's robotic arm, comments.
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Phoenix probe sheds new light on Mars weather
Toronto Star (Canada)
and 21 others
Dec. 16,
2008 -- NASA is still unable to say for sure whether its Phoenix lander has found a place where life could have existed on Mars. In addition to analyzing ice and soil samples for organic material, a process that is still under way, the Phoenix science team collected daily weather reports, information considered critical to learning if the planet could have supported water long enough for life to evolve. Includes comments by WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, who served as the lead scientist for the lander's robotic arm.
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Late Neandertals and Modern Human Contact in Southeastern Iberia
ScienceDaily.com
and 2 others
Dec. 10,
2008 -- New research, published Dec. 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is now shedding some light on what were probably the last Neanderthals. The research is based on a study of human fossils found during the past decade in Spain by Michael Walker, professor at Universidad de Murcia, and colleagues, and published by Walker, WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus, and colleagues.
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Were Neanderthals stoned to death by modern humans?
New Scientist (UK)
Nov. 20,
2008 -- New research suggests human aerial bombardments might have pushed Neanderthals to extinction. However, WUSTL paleoanthropologist Erik Trinkaus doubts that projectile weapons played a major role in human culture before about 25,000 years ago and the extinction of Neanderthals.
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NASA says Phoenix Mars mission has ended
Associated Press
and 112 others
Nov. 11,
2008 -- NASA declared an end to the Phoenix mission on Monday, some five months after the spacecraft became the first to land in Mars' arctic plains and taste water on another planet. "It's always a sad situation to not be able to communicate with it, but it lived beyond its warranty," said mission scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson.
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Simple Brain Mechanisms Explain Arbitrary Human Visual Decisions
ScienceDaily.com
and 12 others
Nov. 11,
2008 -- In Nature Neuroscience, scientists at WUSTL medical school and at the U. of Chieti, Italy report that a simple decision-making task does not involve the frontal lobes, where many of the higher aspects of human cognition are thought to originate. Instead, the regions that decide are the same brain regions that receive stimuli relevant to the decision and control the body's response to it.
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NASA sends 'please wake up' call to Phoenix lander
USA Today
Nov. 4,
2008 -- NASA engineers still hope to rouse a slumbering Phoenix lander and wring the last science out of the mission to Mars' North Pole. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor and mission scientist Ray Arvidson comments.
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NASA's Phoenix Mission Faces Survival Challenges
ScienceDaily.com
and 15 others
Oct. 29,
2008 -- In a race against time and the elements, engineers with NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission hope to extend the lander's survival by gradually shutting down some of its instruments and heaters. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, who is the robotic arm's co-investigator, comments.
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