A study published in Organisms Diversity & Evolution by University of British Columbia researchers documents seven sea spider species found in the Salish Sea, including two previously undescribed ones alongside five known species. The team collected specimens from depths of up to about 60 feet and used scanning electron microscopy and DNA analysis to classify them. One new species, Callipallene pilosuspedes, was named for its hairy, sensory-hair-covered mouthparts.
nautil.us
· 2026-10-02
A new paper reports the discovery and analysis of a derived stem tetrapod fossil, describing terrestrial anatomical features and situating the specimen within the broader record of early tetrapod evolution. The reference list draws on decades of research on Devonian and Carboniferous trackways and fossils, including Elginerpeton, Westlothiana, and Polish trackway sites, as well as recent redating work at East Kirkton and new amniote track finds.
nature.com
· 2026-09-30
Marvel is releasing a new comic that brings together characters from two separate animated X-Men series, X-Men: The Animated Series (1992) and X-Men: Evolution, within a shared multiverse story. The crossover pits versions of the X-Men from both cartoons against each other in a single narrative.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-26
Dallas-based Island announced a $400 million funding round led by Evolution Equity Partners, valuing the company at $6.4 billion. CEO Mike Fey said the capital will fund research, expansion into Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and workforce growth from 1,000 to 1,500 employees by mid-2026. Island's customers include Pfizer, Chipotle and American Airlines, and it ranked No. 28 on this year's CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-24
A study published in Nature by Morales and colleagues presents assembled genomes for 103 bat species, including 42 newly generated for the project, covering representatives of every known bat taxonomic family. The dataset gives scientists a broad genomic view of bat diversity and evolutionary history across the order Chiroptera.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
A Nature paper by Yan et al. used genomics tools to catalog genetic variants, genes and pathways that distinguish the human skeleton from those of chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. The work builds on the long-standing idea that human-ape differences arise more from regulatory changes in gene expression than from changes in protein-coding sequences themselves.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Researchers analyzed four Arabidopsis thaliana datasets—MA16 and MA32 mutation-accumulation lines, HPG1 natural accessions, and rtel1-1 repair mutants—to track how centromeric DNA changes over generations. High-molecular-weight DNA was extracted and sequenced using PacBio HiFi and Illumina platforms at facilities including the Max Planck Genome Centre and Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Researchers compared genomes from over 100 non-human great apes—including bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans—against thousands of human genomes to identify DNA substitutions unique and fixed in humans. They applied strict filtering criteria involving sequencing depth, genotype quality and allelic balance, then cross-checked results against archaic human genomes from Neanderthals and Denisovans, producing a curated set of human-specific variants for further functional testing via a massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA).
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Researchers developed a haemprotein biocatalyst that performs aziridination followed by ring expansion, directly converting unactivated alkenes into enantioselective oxazolidinones. This approach installs the previously hard-to-achieve 5-stereocentre in these heterocycles, which are key scaffolds in next-generation tuberculosis antibiotics. The method extends haemprotein nitrene-transfer chemistry beyond conjugated substrates like styrenes to simple, unactivated alkenes.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Researchers led by Kyle Loh at Stanford University found that in mouse and human embryos, the front and back regions of the brain arise from distinct progenitor cells rather than a shared developmental origin. Cells expressing the OTX2 gene generate the forebrain and midbrain, while GBX2-expressing cells produce the hindbrain, a pattern confirmed in both mouse embryos and human cells grown in dishes.
newscientist.com
· 2026-09-18
Researchers studying ctenophores, gelatinous marine creatures often called comb jellies, have used their genetics to probe fundamental questions about animal evolution, including the origins of nervous systems and bioluminescence. A 2023 study analyzing chromosome structure bolstered the argument that ctenophores, not sponges, split off first from the rest of the animal kingdom, challenging over a century of scientific consensus.
quantamagazine.org
· 2026-09-17
Researchers led by Nikolai Slavov, Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz and Tsui-Fen Chou used single-cell proteomics to analyze the two earliest daughter cells formed after a fertilized mammalian egg divides. They found that these 'alpha' and 'beta' cells already carry distinct protein profiles linked to different developmental fates, with beta cells more often producing viable embryos while alpha cells tend to form supporting extra-embryonic tissue. The team traced these differing identities back to the moment of fertilization.
nature.com
· 2026-09-07
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