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By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Female song is far more widespread in songbirds than many people realize, occurring in about two thirds of songbird species, and new research is reshaping how scientists understand its evolution. Using large-scale species-level datasets collected on songbird behaviors,… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Ask any biologist what causes DNA mutations, and oxygen will likely make the shortlist. It is reactive, super-abundant, and has been fingered as a major culprit in genetic damage for decades. So, here is a head-scratcher: if oxygen is such a DNA troublemaker,… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator In July 2025, the Evolutionary Studies Initiative at Vanderbilt University secured its first initiative-wide grant to train the next generation of biomedical scientists. The grant funded through the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences T32 Training Program,… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Giant ground sloth cast at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum (DeSantis) Giant ground sloths were more than just Ice Age oddities. They were ecosystem engineers whose disappearance reshaped the landscapes they once roamed. A new study from Vanderbilt University’s DREAM… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Lin Meng (left) and alum Tara Stanley City lights are rewriting the calendar. A new global study from Vanderbilt researchers Lin Meng and Huidong Li shows that artificial light at night is more powerful than temperature in extending urban growing seasons… Read More

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) has named Vanderbilt University’s Evolutionary Studies Initiative (ESI) as one of its 2025 recipients of the prestigious Friend of Darwin award. This national honor recognizes ESI’s outstanding contributions to advancing public understanding of evolution… Read More