Lauren Harrison
@laurenmharrison.bsky.social
đ€ 194
đ„ 367
đ 9
Postdoc | animal behaviour, sexual selection and ageing
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Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
1 day ago
Does predictability matter for adaptation? In fruit flies, predictable thermal variation favors evolved longevity, while unpredictable environments impose survival and reproductive costsârevealing distinct routes to adaptation under climate change. Image: Wikimedia
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
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Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
1 day ago
Is lifespan shaped by genetic conflict between the sexes? In wild marmots, longevity is heritable but negatively genetically correlated between males and females, implying selection for longer life in one sex favors shorter life in the other. Image Credit: Wikimedia
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
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Lauren Harrison
Current Biology
1 day ago
here the paper:
www.cell.com/current-biol...
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Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
3 days ago
Can sexual selection alone drive divergence? Experimental evolution in seed beetles shows that strong sexual selection accelerates divergence in reproductive traits and gene expression, even without environmental differences. Image credit: Udo Schmidt Wikimedia
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
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Lauren Harrison
ASAB Spring 2026
15 days ago
Registration for
#ASABSpring2026
is now open!
asab-spring-conference2026.github.io
Don't forget the travel grant AND abstract deadlines are Feb 1!
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Lauren Harrison
Science Magazine
16 days ago
Ant colonies prioritize quantity over quality when it comes to their workers, new
#ScienceAdvances
research finds.
https://scim.ag/3L5oJUc
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The evolution of cheaper workers facilitated larger societies and accelerated diversification in ants
Ants rose by favoring the power of many over the might of few.
https://scim.ag/3L5oJUc
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Lauren Harrison
BehavEcolPapers
17 days ago
Sociability is a multidimensional trait in Drosophila melanogaster bioRxivpreprint
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Sociability is a multidimensional trait in Drosophila melanogaster
Sociability, the propensity of an individual to engage in group activities, is a trait present in all social species. In humans and many animals, sociability varies between individuals yet remains consistent across contexts, qualifying it as a personality trait. Sociability influences health and physiology, but the mechanisms underlying sociability and its inter-individual variation remain poorly understood. The genetically tractable fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is increasingly used to study social behavior and exhibits a wide range of sociability phenotypes. However, previous studies have relied on distinct behavioral paradigms, limiting cross-context comparisons and motivating a more extensive characterization of sociability in this species. Here, we quantified sociability in D. melanogaster using a multidimensional approach encompassing three paradigms that capture engagement in group activities across contexts: (1) preference for communal versus solitary egg-laying, (2) egg-laying latency in a group, and (3) frequency and duration of spontaneous social interactions and interindividual distance. We assessed these behaviors in 105 lines of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel and observed substantial variation in responses to conspecific presence across paradigms. Sociability-related behaviors differed between genetically distinct lines, indicating a genetic component. However, the three sociability traits were uncorrelated, demonstrating that sociability in D. melanogaster is multidimensional. These findings suggest that sociability is not governed by a single central mechanism, but instead arises from multiple context-dependent pathways.
http://dlvr.it/TPxmQ7
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Lauren Harrison
BehavEcolPapers
18 days ago
Sex-specific nutritional requirements of mating in insects with contrasting mating systems AnimBeh
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Sex-specific nutritional requirements of mating in insects with contrasting mating systems
Publication date: Available online 19 December 2025 Source: Animal Behaviour Author(s): C. Ruth Archer, Matthew R. Carey, Charles E. Grant, Clarissa House, Amy Molotoks, Enrique del Castillo, Zeya Wagner, John Hunt
http://dlvr.it/TPx7D7
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Lauren Harrison
EvolDir
21 days ago
Post-doc position in genetic and epigenetic basis of inbreeding depression at UMR 6553 ECOBIO, Rennes, starting early 2026. Applications to
[email protected]
. More info:
https://macrostomum.wordpress.com/the-genetic-and-epigenetic-basis-of-inbreeding-depression/
#postdoc
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The genetic and epigenetic basis of inbreeding depression â the ramm lab
The genetic and epigenetic basis of inbreeding depression â the ramm lab
https://macrostomum.wordpress.com/the-genetic-and-epigenetic-basis-of-inbreeding-depression/
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Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
21 days ago
Surprisingly, sperm length is not linked to sperm storage traits. Instead, vagina length emerges as a keyâyet overlookedâplayer in post-copulatory sexual selection in birds.
academic.oup.com/evlett/article/9/6/686/8271462
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Relative testis size is associated with vagina length but not sperm storage traits in Galliformes
Abstract. Post-copulatory sexual selection, comprised of sperm competition and cryptic female choice, is a powerful evolutionary force that can drive the r
https://academic.oup.com/evlett/article/9/6/686/8271462
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Lauren Harrison
EvolDir
22 days ago
Postdoc opportunity to study sex determination in Xiphophorus species at the University of Bern. Skills in bioinformatics needed. Email CV to Peichel & Kirkpatrick. Funding options available. Deadline: Jan 23, 2026. More info:
https://www.bern.ch/
#postdoc
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Stadt Bern
Offizielle Website der Stadt Bern
https://www.bern.ch/
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Lauren Harrison
Daniel Promislow
23 days ago
Interested in metabolomics/systems biology and aging in Drosophila? We have a post-doc opening! And of course, there will be plenty of opportunities for side projects on the
@dogagingproject.bsky.social
. đ¶
promislowlab.org/wp-content/u...
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https://promislowlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251119_postdoc_hnrca-1.pdf
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Lauren Harrison
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
23 days ago
CALL OPEN NOW - Would you like to join the JEB Editorial Board? đŁ Deadline for applications - Monday 19th January đŁ We'd love to receive applications from across the field of evolutionary biology!
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Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
22 days ago
Early-season helping in Polistes wasps shows increasing returns - more helpers lead to convex gains in sexual productivity, resolving a key paradox in the origins of eusociality.
academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
@ricaliari.bsky.social
@twenseleers.bsky.social
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Lauren Harrison
Philip Leftwich
24 days ago
Please share đą We have a Postdoc position available here
@uniofeastanglia.bsky.social
to develop innovative genetic control strategies for insect agricultural pests in collaboration with
@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
vacancies.uea.ac.uk/vacancies/19...
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reposted by
Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
26 days ago
New signals thrive when females aren't picky. Relaxed pickiness allowed novel purr and rattle songs to become established in Hawaiian crickets. New work by
@robinmting.bsky.social
@gwelsh.bsky.social
in Evolution Letters.
academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
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Lauren Harrison
Johanna Mappes
26 days ago
Thrilled to announce a Postdoc opportunity in our group on the evolutionary genetics and ecology of colour. Wonderful system, great collaborators, and room to shape your own ideas. Apply by 7 Jan:
jobs.helsinki.fi/job/13477181...
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Lauren Harrison
Patrick Kennedy
26 days ago
POSTDOC ALERTđš Two exciting social evolution postdoc positions live today! We're looking for two excellent field biologists. Join us to explore the evolution of sociality in wasps across Africa. Apply by 11th January. Collaboration with
@dustinrubenstein.com
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
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Lauren Harrison
ASSAB
27 days ago
A new PhD opportunity in Melbourne!
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Lauren Harrison
Gabrielle Welsh
about 1 month ago
So excited to share our new work out in
@evolletters.bsky.social
today!
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Sexual signals and preferences for them often differ across groups, contributing to reproductive isolation. But how do new signals evolve if females already have preferences for existing ones? (1/4)
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How relaxed preferences facilitate the evolution of novel animal signals
Abstract. The evolution of novel animal signals is critical to the generation of biodiversity. Here, we explore how new sexual signals become established.
https://doi.org/10.1093/evlett/qraf047
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Lauren Harrison
ASAB Spring 2026
about 1 month ago
The
#ASABWinter2025
Tinbergen lecture will be by
@toshitakaszk.bsky.social
on animal linguistics. Heâs studied the communication system of Japanese tits, revealing striking parallels with human language, incl. referential calls, compositional messages & symbolic gestures. A talk not to be missedâŠ
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Lauren Harrison
ISBE2026
about 1 month ago
We are happy to announce that registration for ISBE2026 is now open! We encourage you to register as soon as possible to take advantage of reduced fees and to plan your trip and accommodation in advance. Please read the information on
www.isbe2026.com
before proceeding with your registration.
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Lauren Harrison
Christos C. Ioannou
about 1 month ago
@asab.org
Spring, aimed at ECRs, is coming to Bristol! Conference grant DEADLINE for Developing Country Applicants (<ÂŁ2500) or anyone needing an early decision for visas (<ÂŁ750) is in ONE WEEK, 1st December.
www.asab.org/conference-g...
Referee statement also needed by then! đđđŠđŠđ đđŹđŠđžđŠđżïžđŠ
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Lauren Harrison
ASAB
about 2 months ago
đȘ° Fruit flies! đĄïž Temperature changes! đMate attraction! đPheromones! Our November
#ASABEditorsChoice
for the
#AnimalBehaviourJournal
: "Effects of natural temperature variation on male perception of female scents in Drosophila melanogaster" Read here:
doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2025.123352
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Lauren Harrison
ISBE2026
about 2 months ago
Honored to announce the Hamilton Lecture 2026! Leigh Simmons, Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Western Australia has made an outstanding contribution to the field of sexual selection acting from the whole organism to its gametes, and to our Society.
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Lauren Harrison
Catherine Sheard
about 2 months ago
Anyone looking for a Australia-based postdoc? Like animal behaviour / coding / birds? My fantastic collaborator, Iliana Medina, is advertising a position researching bird nests:
unimelb.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/UoM_Ex...
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Research Fellow in Behaviour and Ecology
Role type: Full Time; Fixed Term for 2 years Faculty: Faculty of Science Department/ School: School of Biosciences Salary: Level A: $87,266 - $118,416 (PhD Entry Level - $110,319) plus 17% super Colla...
https://unimelb.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/UoM_External_Career/job/Parkville/Research-Fellow-in-Behaviour-and-Ecology_JR-005828
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Lauren Harrison
Journal of Experimental Biology
about 2 months ago
Most
#hummingbirds
use their elegant beaks to sip nectar, but male green hermits stab each other in the neck with their sharp, straight weaponised bills when duelling during the mating season
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
Read the full article at
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
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Lauren Harrison
Alexei Maklakov
about 2 months ago
1/6 In a new preprint we ask a question: Why do males and females so often age and die at different rates? We argue that sex-specific mutation accumulation may be the most parsimonious evolutionary explanation for sex-biased ageing:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
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Sex-specific mutation accumulation: A parsimonious explanation for sex differences in lifespan and ageing
https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/10825/
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Lauren Harrison
Philipp Brand
about 2 months ago
@rorycoleman.bsky.social
and I wrote an opinion piece called 'From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution' We argue that now is a great time for neuro-evo research
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution
The vast diversity of animal behaviors has long inspired ethologists and neuroscientists, but circuit mechanisms driving this variation remain elusiveâŠ
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959438825001680
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Cool new fly sperm paper đȘ° Sperm length and seminal fluid proteins promote male reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster LINK:
academic.oup.com/jeb/article-...
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Sperm length and seminal fluid proteins promote male reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster
Abstract. Spermatozoal morphology varies widely within and among species, often corresponding to the shape of the female sperm storage organs in ways that
https://academic.oup.com/jeb/article-abstract/38/8/1100/8152271
about 2 months ago
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Lauren Harrison
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
about 2 months ago
By combining mark-recapture and genetic parentage data from wild
#lizards
, we show that the offspring of older parents do not have lower survival or reproductive success than the offspring of younger parents:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Crain et al. 2025
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Parental age effects on offspring fitness in a wild population of a short-lived reptile
Abstract. As organisms age, the fitness of the offspring they produce can decline, which is often attributed to parental senescence. However, few studies h
https://doi.org/10.1093/jeb/voaf128
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Lauren Harrison
Euan Angus Young
about 2 months ago
1/13 New paper out!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Historical records across thousands of women showed that mothers with more children had shorter lifespans during a famine, fitting an evolutionary explanation for why we age
@hannahdugdale.bsky.social
@lummaalab.bsky.social
@erikpostma.bsky.social
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Lauren Harrison
Kate Laskowski
about 2 months ago
Our new paper offers an explanation for the universal law that "under carefully controlled conditions.... an animal behaves as it damn well pleases." We explore how stochastic mechanisms may play an underappreciated role in generating individuality. (1/7 đ§”)
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Playing dice with behavior: drivers of stochastic individuality
Animal behavior is often viewed as stemming from predictable genetic and environmental factors. However, despite our best attempts to control genetic âŠ
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534725002885?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=99c767de6d7c351e
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Lauren Harrison
Royal Society Publishing
about 2 months ago
In a stunning display of coordinated movement, male Swallow-tailed Manakins dance together in groups of up to five to attract females. Researchers studied display consistency, group size effects and implications for female choice:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#RSOS
#AnimalBehaviour
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Excited to see this huge experiment finally published!! đȘ°
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Lauren Harrison
fly paper broadcast
2 months ago
Sexual dimorphism in pheromone perception across worms, flies, and rodents
#Drosophila
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Sexual dimorphism in pheromone perception across worms, flies, and rodents #Drosophila
PubMed link
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41203509/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1tih1KzP2IVszyspVOiUrPn-jnW1Q1Ryj5vJBQtngFA-7oVYAA&fc=20250213113502&ff=20251108012354&v=2.18.0.post22+67771e2
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Looks like an interesting read!
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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Lauren Harrison
Science X / Phys.org
2 months ago
Female mosquitoes control mating through subtle genital movements, determining if and when copulation occursâa key factor in their reproductive success and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases
. doi.org/g98b
cr
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What we got wrong about mosquito matingâresearchers explain why females are in charge
The female mosquito only mates once in her lifetime, and yet she can develop many hundreds of eggs from this single event.
https://phys.org/news/2025-10-wrong-mosquito-females.html?utm_source=bsky.app&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=v2
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Lauren Harrison
Nature
3 months ago
Age-related mutations give sperm-forming stem cells a selective advantage during sperm production, shaping disease risk and genetic variation in offspring
go.nature.com/4hlCBFH
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The search for mutations that sperm acquire as men age
Age-related mutations give sperm-forming stem cells a selective advantage during sperm production, shaping disease risk and genetic variation in offspring.
https://go.nature.com/4hlCBFH
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Lauren Harrison
Delphine De Moor
3 months ago
Social relationships are powerful predictors of fitness across social animals. But *why*? In our new
@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social
paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
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Lauren Harrison
Evolution Letters
3 months ago
Temperature can reverse sexual conflict, facilitating population growth
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in
@evolletters.bsky.social
by Roberto GarcĂa-Roa et al.
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Temperature can reverse sexual conflict, facilitating population growth
Abstract. Sexual conflict frequently gives rise to adaptations that increase male reproductive success at the expense of harming females (âmale harmâ) and
https://doi.org/10.1093/evlett/qraf022
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Lauren Harrison
fly paper broadcast
3 months ago
Interactive effects of developmental and adult nutrition on lifespan and fecundity in a genetically diverse Drosophila population
#Drosophila
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Interactive effects of developmental and adult nutrition on lifespan and fecundity in a genetically diverse Drosophila population #Drosophila
PubMed link
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41071844/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1tih1KzP2IVszyspVOiUrPn-jnW1Q1Ryj5vJBQtngFA-7oVYAA&fc=20250213113502&ff=20251012092352&v=2.18.0.post9+e462414
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Lauren Harrison
eLife
3 months ago
Scientists have uncovered how social life shapes aggression in fruit flies: while loners rely on quick jabs, group-raised males prefer intense, full-on tussles, a shift that helps them win territory and mates.
buff.ly/7FaSDNH
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Lauren Harrison
Eryn McFarlane
3 months ago
đ§Ș
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Lauren Harrison
Matthew Neville
3 months ago
Now published! Our paper on: (1) Accurate sequencing of sperm at scale (2) Positive selection of spermatogenesis driver mutations across the exome (3) Offspring disease risks from male reproductive aging [1/n]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Sperm sequencing reveals extensive positive selection in the male germline - Nature
A combination of whole-genome NanoSeq with deep whole-exome and targeted NanoSeq is used to accurately characterize mutation rates and genes under positive selection in sperm cells.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09448-3
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Lauren Harrison
Animal Behavior Society
3 months ago
Need something fun to look forward to? Get involved in the publishing process at one of your favorite society journals! Apply to be an editor at Animal Behavior by Oct 31!
add a skeleton here at some point
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Lauren Harrison
Dr Mark E Hauber
3 months ago
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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Sexual selection drives sex difference in adult life expectancy across mammals and birds
Sexual size dimorphism and mating system contribute to male and female life-span differences across wild and zoo populations.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ady8433
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Lauren Harrison
Aging Science News
3 months ago
Eight decades of follow-up link life course exposures to proteomic organ ageing and longevity
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Eight decades of follow-up link life course exposures to proteomic organ ageing and longevity
The pace of organ ageing varies substantially between individuals, yet drivers of variability remain poorly understood. This gap is critical, given only 20-30% of longevity is genetically inherited[1]...
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.07.25335188v1
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Lauren Harrison
Science Vs
3 months ago
Animals sense the world in many ways we canât imagine â and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer, Ed Yong, is on the show to tell us all about it! By the end, youâll be looking at your dog in a totally different light.
open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...
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How to Smell like a Dog, with Ed Yong
Spotify video
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EvhzpxXymeWJXT1ZfLMPj?si=74cd9edeb7404d8d
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