Jess Thompson

Evolutionary Biology Student 🐛

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Researchers have discovered a partial explanation for fast evolving genes! They are responsible for regulating heterochromatin which was once thought of as "junk DNA" and due to it's fast evolving nature, the genes that regulate it must keep up! @OxyEvo https://t.co/2l0BpkPq0D

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

@ghildner_oxyevo @OxyEvo I live in Orange County and know students at CSUF, super cool how fossils are always being recovered and sometimes where we least expect!

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

This actually ties quite nicely into our last lecture. It lays out all of the info we have on the origin of SARS-Cov2 and the conspiracies surrounding it. However, from class we know that there is no molecular evidence that it was created in a lab @OxyEvo
https://t.co/wulciN4Urz

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

This newly discovered fossil of the extinct human species, Paranthropus robustus, sheds some light on the implications of shifting environmental conditions for human evolution. @OxyEvo
https://t.co/wlWIxG5LNm

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

This neat study might explain why there's so much variance in the severity of Covid-19 symptoms. The major culprit is a genetic sequence that is inherited from Neanderthals! @OxyEvo
https://t.co/blaLouujm5

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

An interesting case of allopatric speciation. The Popa Langur was recently discovered on the extinct volcano, Mount Popa in Myanmar, and is now considered a 3rd species of the Phayre's Langur monkeys. I hope conservationists can save these guys😢@OxyEvo
https://t.co/rBRMXWKQ9B

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Organisms are constantly being reevaluated in terms of their speciation. Just goes to show how complicated it can be when scientists try to classify organisms because of all the factors that need to be taken into consideration. @OxyEvo
https://t.co/0IKh2VraVj

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

SARS-CoV-2 may potentially be experiencing the Muller's Rachet phenomenon which means that the virus is accumulating 'bad' mutations that are making it less virulent @OxyEvo
https://t.co/WeDMutIQyS

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

A neat example of how female preference can drive sexual selection in males. @OxyEvo
https://t.co/gAij5tVxpj

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Researchers extracted genetic material from sediment in the Biashiya Karst Cave on the Tibetan Plateau and identified it as Denisovan mtDNA. This is the 1st time Denisova DNA has been recovered from a location outside the Denisova Cave in Siberia! @OxyEvo
https://t.co/YkrJ7JJADA

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Super interesting article demonstrating how gene regulators are deeply conserved. Using sea sponges and zebrafish, researchers were able to prove that enhancers can maintain their function across different species🤯 @OxyEvo
https://t.co/OC7wnGSHBm

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Conservationists on the Galapagos Islands have found 30 giant tortoises that are partially descended from 2 extinct species. One of those extinct species, Chelonoidis abingdonii, is that of our beloved Lonesome George!🥺💚 @OxyEvo https://t.co/pF7GJOKL4B

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

The forces of natural selection are always at play. More and more babies are being born without wisdom teeth as a result of microevolution! I wish I didn't have to get my wisdom teeth pulled😢 @OxyEvo
https://t.co/1C4OaWAIBU

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

A neat example of how genome duplication in the plant family Brassicaceae is utilized as an evolutionary adaptation strategy🌿 @OxyEvo
https://t.co/0Dsq50uqxV

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Humans could be inducing point mutations in the COVID-19 virus as an immune response in order to increase the production of pro-inflammatory molecules in our bodies @OxyEvo
https://t.co/8wrzLIEX4n

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Battle line formation!! Fertile female mongooses are pursued by males in their family pack so in order to avoid inbreeding, they will pick fights with their unrelated mongoose neighbors. @OxyEvo
https://t.co/b1ch1vGJMM

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Human development is impacting the genetic diversity of lions. Habitat fragmentation is reducing the gene flow of lions and this may result in serious health consequences for this population. @OxyEvo
https://t.co/xR1Lb3UHhE

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

Did humans domesticate themselves? It seems that natural selection favored friendliness in early humans which allowed us to successfully propagate across the earth.🌍✨ @OxyEvo https://t.co/G6JA7YPwvI

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

The Florida panthers underwent a bottle neck effect that left them w/ 6 individuals. In 1995 researchers tried saving this species by introducing pumas from Texas into the population. The current pop. is 150 which means they’re still endangered😢 @OxyEvo https://t.co/WUK8y0V0ki

[Jess Thompson @jthomp_oxyevo]

I wonder what allows this humming bird to lower its heart rate so dramatically during cold nights, is it some type of genetic mutation? 🧬 Going into torpor is an incredible adaption to conserve energy though @OxyEvo

[Science News @ScienceNews]

The high Andes mountains of Peru are a hummingbird’s paradise, rich in wildflower nectar and low in predators. But there’s one problem: the cold.
https://t.co/VASeuoxEcJ