Diversity of (Symplocaceae, Ericales) at low latitudes in Asia during late Oligocene and Miocene.

•Three types of from the late Oligocene and Miocene of Guangxi showcase the diversity of during this time.•Earliest Asian megafossils of are from the late Oligocene of Nanning Basin, Guangxi, China.•Fossils and modeling reveal was quite diverse and has persisted at low latitudes within Asia since late Oligocene.

Polymorphism of Genes Potentially Affecting Growth and Body Size Suggests Genetic Divergence in Wild and Domestic Reindeer () Populations.

: A combination of increased human presence in the Arctic zone alongside climate change has led to a decrease in the number of wild reindeer (). Studying the genetic potential of this species will aid in conservation efforts, while simultaneously promoting improved meat productivity in domestic reindeer. Alongside reducing feed costs, increasing disease resistance, etc.

Accurate calculation of the content volume, density and original weight of museum curated eggs.

Worldwide museums hold collections of eggshells representing material for descriptive studies. However, an obstacle to this is the lack of information about the original contents and weight of the entire egg (W). This study aimed to fill this gap though development of a methodological mechanism for calculating the volume of the egg interior (V), its density (D) and W.

Pear-Shaped Eggs Evolved to Maximize the Surface Area-to-Volume Ratio, Increase Metabolism, and Shorten Incubation Time in Birds.

Bird eggs can be spherical, ellipsoid, ovoid, or pear-shaped (pyriform), the latter being the most complex. There is however no unambiguous evolutionary/adaptive explanation for this final, exotic shape. We hypothesized that pyriform eggs have a larger surface area-to-volume ratio (S/V) that may be a criterion for increased embryo metabolism.