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The rate of recombination affects the mode of molecular evolution. In high-recombining sequence, the targets of selection are individual genetic loci; under low recombination, selection collectively acts on large, genetically linked genomic…
The Y-chromosome degeneration is still an intriguing mechanism and comprises the very origin of sex. We present a coupled version of the well known logistic map and the logistic equation describing the evolution of XY chromosomes. Although…
A major challenge in biology is explaining how novel characters originate, however, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the emergence of evolutionary innovations are unclear. Here we show that while gene expression in the uterus evolves…
In our SCUBA survey of Perseus, we find that the fraction of protostellar cores increases towards higher masses and the most massive cores are all protostellar. In this paper we consider the possible explanations of this apparent mass…
Recently discovered, the oldest human abstract drawing is around 73,000 years. Although the origins of drawing behaviour have remained an enigma to this day, light may be shone on the subject through its study among our closest neighbours,…
Background: Speciation corresponds to the progressive establishment of reproductive barriers between groups of individuals derived from an ancestral stock. Since Darwin did not believe that reproductive barriers could be selected for, he…
The recent genealogical history of human populations is a complex mosaic formed by individual migration, large-scale population movements, and other demographic events. Population genomics datasets can provide a window into this recent…
Recent advances in high-throughput genomics technologies have resulted in the sequencing of large numbers of (near) complete genomes. These genome sequences are being mined for important functional elements, such as genes. They are also…
In our previous studies, we developed discrete-space Birth, Death and Innovation Models (BDIM) of genome evolution. These models explain the origin of the characteristic Pareto distribution of paralogous gene family sizes in genomes, and…
We discuss a simple model of co-evolution. In order to emphasise the effect of interaction between individuals the entire population is subjected to the same physical environment. Species are emergent structures and extinction, origination…
It has been hypothesized that in the era just before the last universal common ancestor emerged, life on earth was fundamentally collective. Ancient life forms shared their genetic material freely through massive horizontal gene transfer…
This paper presents a speculative model of the cognitive mechanisms underlying the transition from episodic to mimetic (or memetic) culture with the arrival of Homo erectus, which Donald [1991] claims paved the way for the unique features…
The human genome contains repetitive DNA at different level of sequence length, number and dispersion. Highly repetitive DNA is particularly rich in homo-- and di--nucleotide repeats, while middle repetitive DNA is rich of families of…
Many species engage in acts that could be called creative. However, human creativity is unique in that it has transformed our planet. Given that the anatomy of the human brain is not so different from that of the great apes, what enables us…
Among the best-known facts of the brain are the contralateral visual, auditory, sensational, and motor mappings in the forebrain. How and why did these evolve? The few theories to this question provide functional answers, such as better…
The origin of life is often framed primarily as a chemical problem, yet life's defining feature is evolution. Advances in geochemistry, prebiotic chemistry, and molecular biology have produced diverse scenarios for the emergence of genomes,…
The Fermi paradox has given rise to various attempts to explain why no evidence of extraterrestrial civilisations was found so far on Earth and in our Solar System. Here, we present a dynamical model for the development of such…
Competition between random genetic drift and natural selection plays a central role in evolution: Whereas non-beneficial mutations often prevail in small populations by chance, mutations that sweep through large populations typically confer…
The paternally inherited Y chromosome has been widely used in population genetic studies to understand relationships among human populations. Our interpretation of Y chromosomal evidence about population history and genetics has rested on…
There is an intrinsic relationship between the molecular evolution in primordial period and the properties of genomes and proteomes of contemporary species. The genomic data may help us understand the driving force of evolution of life at…