appassionato , to bookstodon group
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The Network of Life: A New View of Evolution by David Mindell, 2024

Why evolution is like a network, not a family tree—and why it matters for understanding the health of all living things.

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In The Network of Life , David Mindell explains why the conventional narrative of evolution needs to evolve. Ever since Darwin, evolution has largely been thought to work like a family tree in which species are related through a series of branching events. But, today, a growing knowledge of the ways species share genetic materials in a process known as horizontal evolution has revealed that evolution is actually a network of shared genealogy in which species are more interconnected than previously thought. In this book, Mindell presents this new narrative of life’s evolution and its profound implications for all life on Earth. The Network of Life describes the drivers of horizontal evolution—interbreeding and genetic recombination, the merger of species, horizontal gene transfer, and coevolution. The network view of evolution that emerges supports a new symbiotic theory of health, which holds that the future health of humans, other species, and our shared environments depends on evolution and adaptation across life’s network. Difficult times lie ahead for many of Earth’s species as climates and habitats transform. At the same time, new and altered life-forms are arising and spreading in association with human activities. We are also learning to reshape and create life by mimicking the mechanisms of horizontal evolution, and we are coevolving with technology as we enhance our bodies, brains, and life spans.
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    • inqbiol , to bookstodon group
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    New review: Biocivilisations locates supposed human achievements amongst a wide range of organisms and is a book that is as fascinating as it is frustrating.

    https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2024/05/31/book-review-biocivilisations-a-new-look-at-the-science-of-life/

    @bookstodon

    inqbiol , to bookstodon group
    @inqbiol@scicomm.xyz avatar

    New review: Focusing on the oology in zoology, Infinite Life makes for a fascinating retelling of life's evolutionary history by adding eggs to the mix.

    https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2024/05/22/book-review-infinite-life-a-revolutionary-story-of-eggs-evolution-and-life-on-earth/

    @Juleshoward @bookstodon

    jekely , to Biology
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    Still time to sign up to our COS Symposium 2024

    "Life in Context: Organismal sensing and adaptation in the natural environment"

    in Heidelberg July 22-23, 2024.

    Free registration.

    https://www.cos.uni-heidelberg.de/en/centre-for-organismal-studies-heidelberg/scientific-events-at-cos/cos-symposia/cos-symposium-2024

    with @vincentflora, @NicoleDubilier, @GonzalezLab and many other great speakers

    @biology

    jekely , to Biology
    @jekely@biologists.social avatar

    Beautiful new study by Michael Bok, Macali & Garm on the high-resolution eyes of the enigmatic alciopid annelids, from Ponza island.
    "Our results show that the eyes of alciopids possess the anatomical, morphological, and physiological properties requisite for high resolution tasks and object vision"
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.055
    @biology @mikebok

    Photographs of live individuals of each alciopid species. Micrographs of the heads of an individual from each alciopid species, detailing eye size relative to their heads. A brightfield micrograph of an intact, freshly dissected V. formosa eye. A micro-CT scan of a section through the horizontal axis of a T. candida eye detailing the estimation of the field of view.
    ALT
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