Current Biology

Neanderthals had a robust build and distinctive skeletal features. The hypothalamic-pituitary-somatotropic (HPS) axis, with growth hormone (GH) as a central signaling molecule, plays a crucial role in regulating skeletal development. To explore whether Neanderthal-specific genetic variations in the HPS axis contributed to their physical robustness, we examined genes encoding the relevant receptor…

Among the most interesting adult traits are those with roles in animal communication. Yet, developmental mechanisms by which genes drive cell behaviors in building the final forms of such traits are rarely known. In this context, pigmentation is useful because colors and patterns often provide signals in mate choice, predation avoidance, and other behaviors,¹^,²<su…

TMC1 and TMC2 are mechanosensory ion channels of the vertebrate inner ear that mediate hearing and balance. How these channels open in response to mechanical force remains unresolved. Through comparative analyses of TMCs across eukaryote species, we find that TMC1 and TMC2 arose in vertebrates by gene duplication and evolved elaborate extracellular loops. Structural models demonstrate that the lo…

Giant viruses, members of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota (NCV), possess exceptionally large genomes that encode hundreds of genes involved in replication, metabolism, and host manipulation. These viruses have emerged as major players in protist ecology and evolution. Recent studies reveal that their genomes are frequently endogenized in protists, contributing to structural innovation and functiona…

Cell-size control is necessary for the optimum function and fitness of cells. In many eukaryotes, cell size is controlled through the initiation of cell division once a size threshold is achieved.¹ Cells sense their size through the relationship of cell-size-dependent and independent factors, though the mechanistic details are known for few eukaryotes.²^,<sup>3</su…

Most animals experience irreversibly declining health with advancing age, in part due to limitations in cell turnover and the accumulation of damage. The highly regenerative planarian Schmidtea mediterranea has abundant pluripotent stem cells that drive continuous cell turnover, yet it experiences an age-related loss of fertility, which can be restored through regeneration. We find that the sourc…