Understanding how mutations arise and spread through individuals and populations is fundamental to evolutionary biology. Most organisms have a life cycle with unicellular bottlenecks during reproduction. However, some organisms like plants, fungi, or colonial animals can grow indefinitely, changing the manner in which mutations spread throughout both the individual and the population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe evolution of multicellular life spurred evolutionary radiations, fundamentally changing many of Earth's ecosystems. Yet little is known about how early steps in the evolution of multicellularity affect eco-evolutionary dynamics. Through long-term experimental evolution, we observed niche partitioning and the adaptive divergence of two specialized lineages from a single multicellular ancestor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe evolution of multicellular life spurred evolutionary radiations, fundamentally changing many of Earth’s ecosystems. Yet little is known about how early steps in the evolution of multicellularity transform eco-evolutionary dynamics, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCellular differentiation is one of the hallmarks of complex multicellularity, allowing individual organisms to capitalize on among-cell functional diversity. The evolution of multicellularity is a major evolutionary transition that allowed for the increase of organismal complexity in multiple lineages, a process that relies on the functional integration of cell-types within an individual. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origins of cellular differentiation, but we lack a general understanding of what makes one cell-type distinct from others, and how such differentiation arises.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResilient landscapes have helped maintain terrestrial biodiversity during periods of climatic and environmental change. Identifying the tempo and mode of landscape transitions and the drivers of landscape resilience is critical to maintaining natural systems and preserving biodiversity given today's rapid climate and land use changes. However, resilient landscapes are difficult to recognize on short time scales, as perturbations are challenging to quantify and ecosystem transitions are rare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcne vulgaris is a common skin disease affecting adolescents and young adults of all ethnic groups, negatively impacting self-esteem, self-confidence, and social life. The Gram-positive bacteria colonizes the sebum-rich follicle and contributes to inflammation of the pilosebaceous gland. Long-term antibiotic therapies targeting lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance, and novel acne vulgaris therapies are needed.
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