A recent study from Project Dhvani -- a collaborative research group which uses sounds to study biodiversity -- has found how the removal of invasive Lantana from forest patches can affect red-vented bulbul songs. The study provides insights into how the removal of these trees and plants could change the way sounds propagate in forests.

A global collaborative study published in Nature emphasises investigating non-coding regions of DNA to understand what defines primates, and distinguishes humans among them. The study holds significance not only for human health but also for the conservation of endangered primate species, providing insights into genetic health and population dynamics.

A collaborative study from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and other institutes, found that agamid lizards display rapid colour change in different contexts, including thermoregulation, communication, and stress. The massive range of colours in these species opens up new questions on the whys, hows, and whens of this colour change.

A team of scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has discovered that mutations not only provide genetic variation but also actively influence evolution, aiding organisms in adapting to new environments. Their study on E. coli revealed that altering mutation biases can lead to a greater number of beneficial mutations, providing new insights into evolution.

Streptophyte algae are considered the ancestors of land plants who shared habitats with primitive microbes. However, scientists have been intrigued by how the algae developed mechanisms to evolve as land plants and survive the soil conditions below the ground. In this exciting study, a team of researchers reveal the crucial role primitive microbes could have played in the evolutionary process of land plants.

Emerging dominant strains of the coronavirus are a cause of concern as they impact the course of the pandemic, prompting scientists to track the mutation patterns of the virus closely. In this collaborative study, an analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 global genomic database revealed the trends of point-mutations occurring in the virus.

The Hemidactylus geckos have evolved into several distinct species in the Indian peninsula, some of which often show up as uninvited guests in our houses. Researchers at the Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (CES-IISc) have shown that differences in morphology among species of ground-dwelling geckos can indicate changes in the past climate of peninsular India.