Evolutionary ‘arms race’ may help keep cell division honest

Research from the lab of Michael Lampson in the School of Arts & Sciences suggests that certain proteins may have evolved to reduce the likelihood of chromosomes ‘cheating’ to bias their chance of winding up in an egg during the cell-division process meiosis.

Rewiring cell division to make eggs and sperm

Research by the School of Arts & Sciences’ Michael Lampson and Jun Ma, collaborating with Whitehead Institute researchers, reveals how a key protein enables the process of meiosis to unfold.

High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs

Using 27 years of detailed data on hyena social interactions, a team led by Penn biologists nailed down a pattern of social network inheritance and its implications for social structure, rank, and survival.

How is a cicada like an oak tree?

Janzen, the DiMaura Professor in Biology, on why cicadas (and wildebeests, salmon, and oak trees) act the way they do.

Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation

People are more likely to cooperate if they think others are cooperating, too. New research by biologists in the School of Arts & Sciences shows that overstating the true level of cooperation in a society can increase cooperative behavior overall.