This Week in Evolution

Nels and Vincent review the properties of Mendel's pea genes through the lens of modern genetic analysis. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Insights into Mendel's pea genes (Nature) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Evolution related game Vincent – Should Unvaccinated Patients Get Organ Transplants? Ethicist Weighs In Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent explain the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Evolution and ancestry of dire wolf (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Navigating to the forefront of innovation: A celebration of immigrant scientists Vincent – Exclusive: a Nature analysis signals the beginnings of a US science brain drain Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent explain the ancient evolutionary origin of sex in cephalopods. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Evolution of sex in cephalopods (Current Biol) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Speaking into a microphone? Your audio quality can impact the way people view you Vincent – Remedy Supported by Kennedy Leaves Some Measles Patients More Ill Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent explain how template switching during DNA replication is a widespread source of adaptive gene amplification. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Template switching and gene amplification (eLife) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Jeremy Berg on Bluesky – jeremymberg.bsky.social Vincent – Dickson Despommier, 84 Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent reveal that worker ants amputate their colleagues injured leg to prevent infections. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Wound-dependent leg amputation in ants (Curr Biol) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – The Science Bridge Vincent – US withdraws from WHO Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent discuss the molecular and genetic origins of sex-linked orange coat color in cats. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Orange coat color in cats (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – AI takes up science podcasting Vincent – Humans evolved for distance running – but ancestor 'Lucy' didn't go far or fast Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent review the identification of a novel virus associated with the pathogen Plasmodium knowlsei and which is part part of a diverse and unclassified viral taxon. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Virus associated with P. knowlsei (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – The peace of wild things, poem by Wendell Berry Vincent – All Life on Earth Today Descended From a Single Cell. Meet LUCA Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent discuss the origins of eukaryotes, with contributions from at least 3 bacteria (alphaproteobacteria) and a large contribution from DNA viruses with large genomes. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Complex symbiotic interactions during eukaryogenesis (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Pathoplexus.org Vincent – Can science cure its addiction to plastic? Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent explain how homology searches of anti-phage systems in eukaryotic genomes can be used to discover proteins of the human immune system. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Human antiviral effectors from antiphage systems (Cell Host Micro) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Pathoplexus.org Vincent – Can science cure its addiction to plastic? Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Nels and Vincent look at how plant prickles, sharp epidermal projections that provide defense from predators and other advantages, arose by convergent evolution, the emergence of analogous traits in distantly related species. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Convergent evolution of plant prickles (Science) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Trees as a metaphor to understand relationships in biology Vincent – Project 2025 vs. The Public's Health Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv