Arts And Science

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator In football, defense keeps the opposing team in check. A similar strategy is at play inside our cells. Negative feedback loops (NFLs) help regulate how cells respond to signals, for example, dialing down activity when things get too intense. A new study from… Read More

DeSantis and Gnash with a saber-toothed cat! Nashville, TN – April 4, 2025 – A innovative study led by researchers from Vanderbilt University sheds new light on the dietary ecology of the iconic saber-toothed cat, Smilodon. The study, published in a special issue on sabertoothed organisms in The Anatomical Record,… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Evolution often makes a deal with the devil, creating challenges for treating human disease. By mass, the muscles of thoroughbred racehorses consume more than twice the oxygen of elite human athletes. Yet, oxygen produces free radicals, which damage organ tissues. Balancing energy production… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator New research from Ken Catania, Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences, shows another incredible result. The “Cocoon of the Developing Emerald Jewel Wasp (Ampulex compressa) Resists Cannibalistic Predation of the Zombified Host” was published in Brain, Behavior, and Evolution. Catania’s research program… Read More

By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Scientific Coordinator Arner, right, with local community members and researchers sharing knowledge in a relaxed setting, discussing findings and gathering insights on local lifestyle practices. A new review co-led by graduate students Layla Brassington and Audrey Arner of the Lea Lab discusses the formulation of… Read More

By: Alexandria Leeper, Evolutionary Studies graduate communications assistant Sylvia Cheever prepares to enter the trace metal clean lab at Arizona State University, where she conducts research on mercury levels in ancient human bones from Peru. Sylvia Cheever, a Ph.D. student in Biological Anthropology at Vanderbilt University, is uncovering the hidden… Read More

By Danielle Bowden, Evolutionary Studies administrative specialist Nashville, TN –– Vanderbilt University’s Evolutionary Studies Initiative is thrilled to announce that distinguished evolutionary biologist Kenneth Catania will be delivering the Halloween Spooktacular Lecture as part of the ESI seminar series. Catania is a professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Bryan Gitschlag Vanderbilt University researchers, led by alumnus Bryan Gitschlag, have uncovered groundbreaking insights into the evolution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In their paper in Nature Communications titled “Multiple distinct evolutionary mechanisms govern the dynamics of selfish mitochondrial genomes in Caenorhabditis elegans,”… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator In a groundbreaking study led by Sarah Worthan, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Behringer Lab at Vanderbilt University, scientists have successfully evolved microbial cultures that possess the ability to sense pH changes, enabling rapid responses to environmental fluctuations. Along with highlighting… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Barr (left) and Hillyer in the lab. Submitted photo Mosquitoes tread a thinning line in warming climates, where aging accelerates and infections intensify. New research shows that warming and aging act as a one-two punch, lowering mosquito lifespans and fanning the flames of… Read More