Study offers clues to how plants evolved to cope with cold. December 22, 2013. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Researchers have found new clues to how plants evolved to withstand wintry weather. In a study in the journal Nature, the team constructed an evolutionary tree of more than 32,000 species of flowering plants — the largest time-scaled evolutionary tree to date. By combining their tree with freezing exposure records and leaf and stem data for thousands of species, the researchers were able to reconstruct how plants evolved to cope with cold as they spread across the globe. The results suggest that many plants acquired characteristics that helped them thrive in colder climates — such as dying back to the roots in winter — long before they first encountered freezing. Picked up by Futurity.

Biodiversity higher in the tropics, but species more likely to arise at higher latitudes. November 22, 2013. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. A study of 2300 species of mammals and 6700 species of birds offers a counterintuitive explanation for why there are more species in the tropics than at higher latitudes. Researchers found that while the tropics harbor more species, the number of subspecies increases in the harsher environments typical of higher latitudes. The results suggest that the latitudinal diversity gradient may be due higher species turnover — speciation counterbalanced by extinction — towards the poles than near the equator.

Extinction risk factors for New Zealand birds today differ from those of the past. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, August 2, 2012. What makes some species more prone to extinction? A new study of nearly 300 species of New Zealand birds — from pre-human times to the present — reveals that the keys to survival today differ from those of the past. The results are important for the growing number of studies that try to predict which species could be lost in the future based on what kinds of species are considered most threatened today, the researchers say.

Why not marry your cousin? Millions do. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, April 25, 2012.The health risks of marrying a cousin have been grossly overstated, says a new book that examines common misconceptions about cousin marriage. A better understanding of the health effects of cousin marriage could mean more appropriate marriage laws and better medical care for cousin couples and their children, says author and NESCent visitor Alan Bittles. Picked up by West Australia Today and The West Australian.

New study traces the evolutionary history of what mammals eat. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, April 16, 2012. The feeding habits of mammals haven’t always been what they are today, particularly for omnivores, finds a new study. Some groups of mammals almost exclusively eat meat — take lions and tigers and other big cats. Other mammals such as deer, cows and antelope are predominantly plant-eaters, living on a diet of leaves, shoots and bark. But particularly for omnivores, the situation wasn’t always that way, researchers report. Picked up by NSF and NPR.

Athletic frogs have faster-changing genomes. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, April 12, 2012. Physically fit frogs have faster-changing genomes, says a new study of poison frogs from Central and South America. Also featured in Wired Magazine.

How did human brains get to be so big? Scientific American Guest Blog, February 21, 2012. New research points to an ancient energy tradeoff that meant more fuel for brains, and less fuel for muscles.

Birds in uncertain climates are more likely to stray from their mates. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, February 16, 2012.  Married people may pledge to stay faithful through good times and bad, but birds sing a different tune — when weather is severe or uncertain, a new study finds that birds are more likely to stray from their mates. The results could mean more marital strife for birds coping with climate change, the researchers say. Picked up by Discovery News, Huffington Post, Scientific American, Globe and Mail, the New York Times, and MSNBC.