Evolution Research Articles

Beyond the Bones: Emotional Narratives in Archaeological Explorations of Death

Experiencing and processing emotions, especially profound grief following a significant loss, provides deep personal insights and understanding that can inform the study of emotional practices and customs related to death and mourning. This paper explores how emotions, from basic to complex, are studied through historical artefacts, evolutionary biology, and cultural contexts, emphasizing their interconnectedness with cognition and behaviour in material culture, their biological underpinnings in brain development, and their manifestations as both group and collective phenomena in societal and interpersonal contexts. Death and funeral contexts offer opportunities to study emotions before and after death. Archaeological remains indicate mortuary rituals, customs, and human behaviour, which allows us to consider incorporating emotional narratives in prehistoric research by surveying conclusions from psychological, ethnographic, anthropological, sociological, historical, and medical studies.

Evolutionary Game Analysis of China–Laos Electric Power Cooperation

Cross-border power cooperation is considered a pathway for optimal regional use of renewable resources and the reduction of carbon emissions. To enhance such cooperation, it is essential to understand the game behaviors of the involved parties. This study applied evolutionary game theory (EGT) and system dynamics (SD) methods to analyze the factors influencing strategic choices and cooperation benefits in the China–Laos electricity cooperation. An EGT model was first developed to examine the interactive behavior of both parties and the stability of strategies. Subsequently, an SD model of EGT was constructed to simulate the evolutionary game process, explore the intrinsic mechanisms of the evolutionary game, and analyze the factors affecting strategy selection. The results show that: (1) the gaming behaviors cannot be ignored in cross-border power cooperation; (2) compared to the cross-border trade scenario, the strategic cooperation will generate more benefits for the parties involved and thus will be selected as the cooperation game evolves; (3) the initial strategy ratio of both parties is crucial, influencing the direction of strategy evolution and the time to reach equilibrium; (4) the choice of system cooperation strategy is affected by the unit profit of electricity trade, input cost, incremental return, trade volume, transaction cost, excess return, fine for agreement violation, and the ratio of benefit allocation, among which the former three are critical.

Reducing Carbon Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: An Analysis Using Evolutionary Game Theory

The promotion of energy conservation and emission reduction involves a multi-party game among governments, enterprises, and other stakeholders. To explore the game relationships among governments, the public, and coal-fired power enterprises under the “dual carbon targets”, this paper constructs an evolutionary game model for energy conservation and emission reduction involving three parties: the government, coal-fired power enterprises, and the public. Through a theoretical analysis and simulation analysis of the case study involving a central Hebei energy enterprise in China, the impact of parameter variations on the strategic choices of all parties and the evolutionarily stable strategies of the system is thoroughly discussed. The research findings indicate that reducing public supervision costs, increasing government rewards, subsidies, and penalties, and enhancing government regulatory capabilities are crucial factors in promoting energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts by coal-fired power enterprises. After multiple evolutionary iterations, the tripartite evolutionary game system ultimately reaches an evolutionarily stable state of government regulation, public supervision, and energy-saving and emission-reduction by coal-fired power enterprises at the point E8(1,1,1). Based on these findings, we propose a series of policy recommendations aimed at providing theoretical support for the Chinese government to achieve its energy-saving and emission-reduction strategies under the dual-carbon targets. These recommendations also offer practical guidance for the government in formulating emission reduction policies, for enterprises in optimizing their operational strategies, and for the public in participating in emission reduction efforts.

Taking cues from ecological and evolutionary theories to expand the landscape of disgust.

Behavioural avoidance of parasites in the environment generates what is known as the 'landscape of disgust' (analogous to the predator-induced 'landscape of fear'). Despite the potential for improving our inference of host-parasite dynamics, three limitations of the landscape of disgust restrict the insight that is gained from current research: (i) many host-parasite systems will not be appropriate for invoking the landscape of disgust framework; (ii) existing research has primarily focused on immediate choices made by hosts on small scales, limiting predictive power, generalizability, and the value of the insight obtained; and (iii) relevant ecological and evolutionary theory has yet to be integrated into the framework, challenging our ability to interpret the landscape of disgust within the context of most host-parasite systems. In this review, we explore the specific requirements for implementing a landscape of disgust framework in empirical systems. We also propose greater integration of habitat selection and evolutionary theories, aiming to generate novel insight, by exploring how the landscape of disgust varies within and across generations, presenting opportunities for future research. Despite interest in the impacts of parasitism on animal movement and behaviour, many unanswered questions remain.

From ecological menace to roadside attraction: 28 years of evidence support successful biocontrol of purple loosestrife

AbstractIntroduction and spread of non‐native plants provide ecologists and evolutionary biologists with abundant scientific opportunities. However, land managers charged with preventing ecological impacts face financial and logistical challenges to reduce threats by introduced species. The available toolbox (chemical, mechanical, or biological) is also rather limited. Failure to permanently suppress introduced species by mechanical and chemical treatments may result in biocontrol programs using host‐specific insect herbivores. Regardless of the chosen method, long‐term assessment of management outcomes on both the target species and associated biota should be an essential component of management programs. However, data to assess whether management results in desirable outcomes beyond short‐term reductions of the target plant are limited. Here, we use implementation of a biocontrol program targeting a widespread wetland invader, Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), in North America to track outcomes on the target plant over more than two decades in New York State. After extensive testing, two leaf‐feeding beetles (Galerucella calmariensis and Galerucella pusilla; hereafter “Galerucella”), a root‐feeding weevil (Hylobius transversovittatus) and a flower‐feeding weevil (Nanophyes marmoratus), were approved for field releases. We used a standardized monitoring protocol to record insect abundance and L. salicaria stem densities and heights in 1‐m2 permanent quadrats at 33 different wetlands and followed sites for up to 28 years. As part of this long‐term monitoring, in 20 of these wetlands, we established a factorial experiment releasing either no insects (control), only root feeders, only leaf beetles, or root and leaf feeders. We documented reduced L. salicaria occupancy and stem densities following insect releases over time, irrespective of site‐specific differences in starting plant communities or L. salicaria abundance. We could not complete our factorial experiment because dispersal of leaf beetles to root‐feeder‐only and control sites within 5 years invalidated our experimental controls. Our data show that it took time for significant changes to occur, and short‐term studies may provide misleading results, as L. salicaria stem densities initially increased before significantly decreasing. Several decades after insect releases, prerelease predictions of significant purple loosestrife declines have been confirmed.

The Primary Cell Model: Linking Prenatal Development and Intracellular Biology to Psychology and Consciousness

In this paper, we introduce an entirely new model of psychobiology. Unexpected discoveries are often made by combining different fields of knowledge. Here, prenatal psychology was combined with developmental and cell biology to yield a surprisingly simple yet profoundly important intracellular (subcellular) psychobiology theory. Like many discoveries, this one took us completely by surprise. It explained many puzzling observations in psychology and medicine and has led to effective therapeutic applications. Our breakthrough was realizing that the sensations, feelings, and perceptions inside a single, unique totipotent cell are superimposed on our everyday bodily experience. We have called this unique cell the primary cell. It forms at the fourth cell division after conception and remains with us our entire life. Thus, this cell links psychology to intracellular biology, and its existence has profound implications in both evolutionary biology and understanding the intracellular biology of consciousness itself. This paper presents part one of a three-part series, sharing real-life experiences that ultimately resulted in the development of the primary cell model. By utilizing various viewpoints and techniques from different fields, some of which are not widely known, we aim to provide insight into the key moments that shaped our decade-long journey of discovery. These stories will help you understand how we made our observations and conclusions. Keywords: Prenatal developmental psychology, subcellular psychobiology, primary cell, intracellular biology, epigenetic, RNA trauma

Payoff-driven migration promotes the evolution of trust in networked populations

Establishing and maintaining trustworthy behaviors in large populations of self-interested individuals is a significant problem which received extensive attentions from research fields such as evolutionary biology, economics, sociology and engineering. As a well-known model that captures social trust dilemmas, the N-player trust game is adopted to investigate the evolution of trust in groups consisting of investors and trustees. In addition, to model real scenarios in dynamic environments, we introduce a novel migration mechanism, called adaptive environment-benefit-driven migration, which considers the influence of individuals’ payoffs on migration. Through theoretical analysis and Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the migration mechanism on facilitating trust behaviors in the framework of evolutionary game theory. We find that the population density plays a crucial role in establishing trust. Simulation results reveal that trust can be fostered in a dynamic environment influenced by individual migration with the medium vacancy rate. This work significantly contributes to the understanding of mutual trust behaviors in networked social systems from a more realistic perspective.

:Evolvability: A Unifying Concept in Evolutionary Biology? Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology

:<i>Evolvability: A Unifying Concept in Evolutionary Biology? Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology</i>

:Evolutionary Theories and Religious Traditions: National, Transnational, and Global Perspectives, 1800–1920

:<i>Evolutionary Theories and Religious Traditions: National, Transnational, and Global Perspectives, 1800–1920</i>

The key role of tyrosinase in color variation of the autotetraploid Carassius auratus

The autotetraploid Carassius auratus (4nRR, 4n = 200, RRRR, brownish-yellow coloration), derived from the whole-genome duplication of Carassius auratus red var. (RCC, 2n = 100, RR, red), is a model for understanding the genetics and evolution of polyploid animals. In this study, changes in melanophore and melanin contents indicated differences in melanin metabolism among these two fish species. Tyrosinase (tyr), a key enzyme in melanin biosynthesis, exhibited significant up-regulation in 4nRR, but its role in pigmentation and coloration variation in 4nRR is unknown. Here, color-variant RCC, 4nRR, and their gynogenetic offspring were established and investigated, revealing that 4nRR tyr differentiated from RCC tyr to achieve the effective regulation of 4nRR pigmentation. In RCC, two tyr homeologs have sub-functionalized to synergistically regulate melanogenesis. Furthermore, color variation was tracked at different developmental stages in mutants. Subsequently, four divergent tyr homeologs in 4nRR were localized to four homeologous chromosomes and exhibited predominantly biased expression. Remarkably, yellowish coloration was determined by deficiency of four tyr homeologs rather than single or multiple mutated (<4) homeologs. Further, efficient compensatory regulation was confirmed in mutants, suggesting that all tyr have evolved to cooperatively regulate 4nRR melanogenesis following autopolyploidization. Notably, numerous homozygous gynogenetic offspring were rapidly constructed with stable coloration traits, further demonstrating the regulatory role of tyr homeologs in 4nRR coloration variation, which will enable better generation of novel or tailored strains. These observations reveal a key mechanism underlying coloration formation and variation in 4nRR, while informing skin color–based genetic breeding of polyploid fishes.

New ecdysozoan fossil embryos from the basal Cambrian of China

Invertebrate embryos have relatively low fossilization potential; however, when preserved, they can offer crucial insights into the evolutionary developmental biology of extinct animals. Here we report new exceptionally preserved fossil embryos from the early Fortunian (early Cambrian) of China, which are assigned to two new taxa, Saccus xixiangensis gen. et sp. nov. and Saccus necopinus gen. et sp. nov. All specimens are three-dimensionally phosphatized, akin to the Orsten-type preservation. The embryos are enclosed within a thin and smooth envelope ranging in diameter from 730 μm to 1 mm. The embryos have a bag-shaped body, a non-ciliated integument, radially arranged sclerites apically, and bilaterally arranged sclerites abapically, but lack any orifice, thus representing a developmental stage prior to the formation of a mouth or anus. The integument shows soft deformation, while the sclerites remain largely undeformed, suggesting that the sclerites are stiffer and likely cuticularized. The arrangement of the abapical sclerites imparts bilaterality, classifying these new embryos as bilaterians. Furthermore, the absence of cilia or cilium insertion sites and the presence of cuticularized sclerites suggest an ecdysozoan affinity. The relatively large embryo size indicates yolk-rich eggs, and the presence of cuticle implies that the embryos are in later embryonic stages, possibly close to hatching. In the absence of hatched specimens, it is inferred that these embryos undergo indirect development, hatching as lecithotrophic (yolk-feeding) larvae. In this case, the morphology of the juvenile and adult forms is uncertain due to metamorphosis during later growth. Alternatively, the embryos could undergo direct development, hatching as lecithotrophic juveniles, with both juveniles and adults potentially having a similar bag-shaped body without an introvert or paired limbs, closely reminiscent of Saccorhytus. This study expands our understanding of the morphological disparity and diversity of early Fortunian fossil embryos and ecdysozoans.

Study on Household Investment Decision of Household Photovoltaic Project Promotion -- Based on Inclusive Finance Perspective

Considering the lack of research on households' investment decisions in promoting photovoltaic projects in existing studies, this study constructs a four-party evolutionary game model based on local governments, financing institutions, photovoltaic enterprises and households from the perspective of inclusive finance. In addition, according to the influence of irrational psychological factors on the decision-making outcome of each interested party in decision-making, this study innovatively introduces regret theory to improve the evolutionary game model. Then, each subject' evolutionary stabilisation strategies and system equilibrium points are analysed explicitly using the perceived benefit function and the replicated dynamic differential equation. Finally, combined with the system dynamics method, the theoretical derivation results are verified by parameter assignment, and the sensitivity of each subject to multiple influencing factors is explored. The results show that: (1) under the current market condition, the system is stabilised in the strategy combination of Case I (subsidy, conventional finance, non-promotion, loan to build), but the ideal state can be achieved through the refinement and adjustment of policies. And there is a mutual influence between the subjects. (2) The regret-elation perception psychology of each subject has a non-negligible influence on their decision-making behaviour. The combination of strategies in Case I is a conservative decision by the subjects. (3) A variety of factors influences the behavioural decisions of each subject, and the amount of rent that photovoltaic enterprises can provide is a crucial factor affecting households' investment decisions. (4) Local governments incentives and penalties play a key incentive role in promoting the active participation of financing institutions and photovoltaic enterprises in the promotion endeavour. This study provides practical guidance and policy insights for promoting the diffuse use of renewable energy and the promotion of household photovoltaic projects while enriching the applied research by combining regret theory and evolutionary game theory.

The Evolutionary Dynamics of Soft-Max Policy Gradient in Multi-Agent Settings

Policy gradient is one of the most famous algorithms in reinforcement learning. This paper studies the mean dynamics of the soft-max policy gradient algorithm and its properties in multi-agent settings by resorting to evolutionary game theory and dynamical system tools. Unlike most multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms, whose mean dynamics are a slight variant of the replicator dynamics not affecting the properties of the original dynamics, the soft-max policy gradient dynamics presents a structure significantly different from that of the replicator. In particular, we show that the soft-max policy gradient dynamics in a given game are equivalent to the replicator dynamics in an auxiliary game obtained by a non-convex transformation of the payoffs of the original game. Such a structure gives the dynamics several non-standard properties. The first property we study concerns the convergence to the best response. In particular, while the continuous-time mean dynamics always converge to the best response, the crucial question concerns the convergence speed. Precisely, we show that the space of initializations can be split into two complementary sets such that the trajectories initialized from points of the first set (said good initialization region) directly move to the best response. In contrast, those initialized from points of the second set (said bad initialization region) move first to a series of sub-optimal strategies and then to the best response. Interestingly, in multi-agent adversarial machine learning environments, we show that an adversary can exploit this property to make any current strategy of the learning agent using the soft-max policy gradient fall inside a bad initialization region, thus slowing its learning process and exploiting that policy. When the soft-max policy gradient dynamics is studied in multi-population games, modeling the learning dynamics in self-play, we show that the dynamics preserve the volume of the set of initial points. This property proves that the dynamics cannot converge when the only equilibrium of the game is fully mixed, as the volume of the set of initial points would need to shrink. We also give empirical evidence that the volume expands over time, suggesting that the dynamics in games with fully-mixed equilibrium is chaotic.

Characterization of radiations‐induced genomic structural variations in Arabidopsis thaliana

SUMMARYDNA, is assaulted by endogenous and exogenous agents that lead to the formation of damage. In order to maintain genome integrity DNA repair pathways must be efficiently activated to prevent mutations and deleterious chromosomal rearrangements. Conversely, genome rearrangement is also necessary to allow genetic diversity and evolution. The antagonist interaction between maintenance of genome integrity and rearrangements determines genome shape and organization. Therefore, it is of great interest to understand how the whole linear genome structure behaves upon formation and repair of DNA damage. For this, we used long reads sequencing technology to identify and to characterize genomic structural variations (SV) of wild‐type Arabidopsis thaliana somatic cells exposed either to UV‐B, to UV‐C or to protons irradiations. We found that genomic regions located in heterochromatin are more prone to form SVs than those located in euchromatin, highlighting that genome stability differs along the chromosome. This holds true in Arabidopsis plants deficient for the expression of master regulators of the DNA damage response (DDR), ATM (Ataxia‐telangiectasia‐mutated) and ATR (Ataxia‐telangiectasia‐mutated and Rad3‐related), suggesting that independent and alternative surveillance processes exist to maintain integrity in genic regions. Finally, the analysis of the radiations‐induced deleted regions allowed determining that exposure to UV‐B, UV‐C and protons induced the microhomology‐mediated end joining mechanism (MMEJ) and that both ATM and ATR repress this repair pathway.

Genetic and microenvironmental evolution of colorectal liver metastases under chemotherapy.

Drug resistance limits the efficacy of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM). However, the evolution of CRLM during drug treatment remains poorly elucidated. Multi-omics and treatment response data from 115 samples of 49 patients with CRLM undergoing bevacizumab (BVZ)-based chemotherapy show little difference in genomic alterations in 92% of cases, while remarkable differences are observed at the transcriptomic level. By decoupling intrinsic and acquired resistance, we find that hepatocyte and myeloid cell infiltration contribute to 38.5% and 23.1% of acquired resistance, respectively. Importantly, SMAD4 mutations and chr20q copy-number gain are associated with intrinsic chemoresistance. Gene interference experiments suggest that SMAD4R361H/C mutations confer BVZ and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance through STAT3 signaling. Notably, supplementing BVZ and 5-FU with the STAT3 inhibitor GB201 restores therapeutic efficacy in SMAD4R361H/C cancer cells. Our study uncovers the evolutionary dynamics of CRLM and its microenvironment during treatment and offers strategies to overcome drug resistance.

Preparation of a novel laser cladding Ni-based alloy with promising applications in high-temperature conditions: Genetic design, multi-phase evolution, and synergy mechanism

Developing novel Ni-based alloys is crucial for remanufacturing key friction parts at 800-1200 ℃ in metallurgical industry with multiple failure mechanisms, such as wear, corrosion, and adhesion. This paper adopts genetic algorithm to design high-temperature Ni-based alloy with three genetic structures of wear resistance, anti-corrosion, and self-lubricating. By combining simulation calculation and experimental methods, the evolution of the three genetic structures of the laser cladding alloy and the performance strengthening mechanism were deeply studied. The laser clad Ni17Cr10Co7Al5Ti3W2C1S sample of optimized composition had three genetic structures: Cr7C3/TiC wear resistance phases, γ/γ′ anti-oxidation and anti-corrosion phases, Ti2SC/TiS self-lubricating phases. Compared with Cr28Ni48W5 superalloy, the wear rate of the optimal sample was 2.31×10-5 mm3/(N·m) under 800 ℃ friction condition, and reduced by 97%. The friction coefficient of the sample at high temperature was 0.2, approximately half of the substrate alloy, and the self-lubricating performance was significantly improved. Electrochemical tests indicated that the polarizing potential of the sample was -0.16 VSCE in 3.5wt. % NaCl solution. The mechanism of three genetic structures evolution and synergistic enhanced wear resistance, anti-corrosion, and self-lubricating properties were elaborated. Specifically, the key gene of Ti2SC plays a profound role in improving the high-temperature wear resistance and self-lubricating performance of the novel laser clad Ni-based alloy sample. These findings present a novel avenue of material design and preparation for laser additive manufacturing and remanufacturing of key friction parts with high-performance at 800-1200 ℃ in complex metallurgical working conditions.

The comparative analysis of lineage-pair traits.

A powerful but poorly understood analysis in ecology and evolutionary biology is the comparative study of lineage-pair traits. "Lineage-pair traits" are characters like 'diet niche overlap' and 'strength of reproductive isolation' that are defined for pairs of lineages instead of individual taxa. Comparative tests for causal relationships among such variables have led to groundbreaking insights in several classic studies, but the statistical validity of these analyses has been unclear due to the complex dependency structure of the data. Specifically, lineage-pair datasets contain non-independent observations, but studies to-date have relied on untested workarounds for data dependency rather than direct models of linear-pair covariance, and the statistical consequences of non-independence have not been thoroughly explored. Here we consider how evolutionary relatedness among taxa translates into non-independence among taxonomic pairs. We develop models by which phylogenetic signal in an underlying character generates covariance among pairs in a lineage-pair trait. We incorporate the resulting lineage-pair covariance matrix into a modified version of phylogenetic generalized least squares and a new beta regression model suitable for bounded response variables. Both models outperform previous approaches in simulation tests. We re-analyze two empirical datasets and find dramatic improvements in model fit and, in the case of avian hybridization data, an even stronger relationship between pair age and RI than revealed by standard linear regression. We present a new tool, the R package phylopairs , to allow empiricists from a variety of biological fields to test relationships among pairwise-defined variables in a manner that is statistical robust and more straightforward to implement.

Building a synthetic theory of linguistic evolution? Comment on “Language follows a distinct mode of extra-genomic evolution”

Building a synthetic theory of linguistic evolution? Comment on “Language follows a distinct mode of extra-genomic evolution”

Unraveling enigmatic disjunctions: Population genetic analysis points to independent origins of rare rhododendrons in the Rhododendron keiskei complex (Ericaceae)

AbstractUnraveling species boundaries is pivotal for evolutionary biology and conservation endeavors. However, it proves challenging in instances where recent speciation is intertwined with complex demographic histories and natural selection processes. The Rhododendron keiskei complex, an evergreen rhododendron distributed in East Asia, consists of a widespread variety (R. keiskei var. keiskei) and a more restricted R. keiskei var. hypoglaucum. Intriguingly, the latter is exceptionally rare yet displays a disjunction that spans approximately 1100 km. This study aimed to elucidate the evolutionary backgrounds of the enigmatic disjunctions of R. keiskei var. hypoglaucum and to propose species delimitation within the species complex. An integrative approach, combining genomic data (MIG‐seq and GBS‐derived SNPs) with Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of leaf microstructures was adopted in this study. Phylogenetic analyses revealed significant divergence among the studied rhododendrons. Genetic demographic analyses favored the population models that assumed non‐monophyly of two disjunct populations of R. keiskei var. hypoglaucum indicating their independent origins. Recent gene flow between the widespread R. keiskei var. keiskei and “var. hypoglaucum” populations were limited due to geographic and habitat isolation factors, even in areas where their distributions overlap. Detailed morphological assessments detected distinctions between morphologically similar “var. hypoglaucum” populations based on leaf microstructures and flowering habits. Our study has shown that the apparent disjunctions of rare rhododendrons are more likely attributed to morphological convergence, possibly due to similar environmental selections in unrelated taxa. The finding highlights the importance of an integrative approach for resolving taxonomic challenges in plant species complexes.

Seismic Response Analysis of a Vibrating Stirred Steel Fiber Concrete Frame Structure Based on Probability Density Evolution

In this paper, an experimental study of steel fiber concrete using vibration mixing technology and the probability density evolution theory is applied to establish a nonlinear stochastic seismic response model for multistory concrete frame structures considering the randomness of structural parameters. The random evolution characteristics of the structural response are studied and analyzed, and a reliability analysis method for concrete frame structures based on PDEM theory is proposed. The equations are solved by the finite difference method in the TVD format, and the probability distribution of the deformation index of the concrete frame structure is obtained by summation, where the reliability is given according to the limit value of the index. The results confirm that the PDEM theory can accurately assess the functional reliability of the structure, and it is also found that the randomness of the structural parameters has a significant effect on its nonlinear dynamic response law, and that consideration of the randomness of the structural parameters at the early stage of the design can be of great help to the seismic resistance of the structure. This study not only provides a scientific basis for the optimization of the performance of steel fiber concrete but also provides a new perspective and tool for the analysis of probability density evolution in the field of structural earthquake engineering.