Paleontologists pin down brain evolution in the first flying reptiles.

In one of the largest African ancient-DNA studies to date, geneticists from Uppsala University, Sweden, and an archaeologist from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, analysed the DNA of 28 people who lived in southern Africa between 1200 and just a few hundred years ago. It contributes further evidence that southern African hunter-gatherers were the earliest known human group with a unique Homo sapiens genetic ancestry tracing back to about 300 000 years ago.

Complex life began to develop earlier, and over a longer span of time, than previously believed, a groundbreaking new study has revealed. The research sheds new light on the conditions needed for early organisms to evolve and challenges several long-standing scientific theories in this area.

Complex life began to develop almost a billion years earlier, and over a longer span of time, than previously believed. This is shown by research conducted by, among others, NIOZ researcher Anja Spang. The study challenges several long-standing scientific theories in this area. The availability of abundant oxygen, for example, does not appear to be a prerequisite for the evolution of complex life.

In southern Africa, a group of people lived in partial isolation for hundreds of thousands of years. This is shown in a new study based on analyses of the genomes of 28 people who lived between 10,200 and 150 years ago in southern Africa. The researchers also found genetic adaptations that likely shaped Homo sapiens as a species. The study, which is the largest to date of African ancient DNA, is published in Nature.

A recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar and Northeastern University highlights how climate change impacts pollination systems in the tropics, Mediterranean, and temperate zones. Using climate projections and simulations across 11 ecological networks, the study indicates that tropical plant-pollinator systems exhibit the highest sensitivity to rising temperatures, while temperate species may cope better. Analysis of conservation strategies to support pollination systems across these regions indicates a failure of a one-size-fits-all template and suggests designing region-specific strategies to effectively protect biodiversity and pollination services in the face of future warming.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) controls what moves in and out of the cell nucleus. Scientists have long debated how its flexible components team up with transport factors to create a barrier that is both fast and highly selective. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy and synthetic nanopores, the researchers showed that transport factors continuously reorganize the NPCs central transporter to enhance its selectivity and speed. The findings overturn previous rigid or gel-like models of the nuclear pore complex, offering new insight into diseases—such as cancer and neurodegeneration—that are linked to NPC breakdown. They also provide a blueprint for designing smart, nanopore-based technologies for drug delivery and filtration.