15 generations of untrained jocks, couch potatoes show big physiological adaptations
So, you don't like to exercise? Maybe you could blame it on your great-great-grandparents. Similarly, if you're a practiced and proud couch potato who suddenly woke up to the fact that you're a "natural" athlete, the credit could also belong to your genes. Exercise research traditionally has focused on the effects of training, rather than underlying genetic mechanisms. But physiologists wo...Otter adaptations: How do otters remain sleek and warm
Otters cavorting in the water is a scene with which we're all familiar. Yet, unlike many other mammals that spend a considerable amount of time in the water–polar bears, seals, dolphins, and whales–river otters do not have a thick layer of body fat to keep warm. They rely, instead, on a few unique adaptations; namely, their fur and the densely packed layer of specially adapted underhairs....Old theory of adaptation confirmed by new study
The adaptation theory that came up in 1971 argued that people react to good and bad events in their life, but they eventually return to a stable level of well-being. Researchers from Michigan State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, France and England confirmed this theory based on a study conducted to evaluate the effects of marital transitions on life satisfaction. 24,000 i...Research Throws Light on Adaptation of E.coli to Changing Conditions
Forthcoming in Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, a fascinating new selection of papers collects leading experimental research in evolution and artificial selection, providing insight into how organisms adapt to changing environmental conditions and fluctuations. Dr. James Hicks, Editor in Chief of PBZ, explains the momentum behind this collection of papers: "This exciting appr...