TWiEVO 130: The Stickleback ShuffleNels and Vincent explain a study showing unique site-specific and shared habitat-level adaptation in a classic system of repeated evolution, stickleback fish. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the in stickleback fish (PNAS) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/43195478
TWiEVO 129: How avocados do itNels and Vincent discuss the finding that balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the A transcription protein underlies in avocado (PNAS) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – and Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/42628115
TWiEVO 128: Ready, set, cellNels and Vincent discuss a chemically defined synthetic cell capable of growth and replication. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Chemically defined (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/42198365
TWiEVO 127: The barley knew what to mildewNels and Vincent discuss molecular mimicry of a pathogen virulence target by a plant immune receptor. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the of a pathogen virulence target by a plant immune receptor (Science) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/42198145
TWiEVO 126: Beyond Inheritance with Roxanne Khamsi TWiEVO 126: Beyond Inheritance with Roxanne Khamsi June 1, 2026 Science journalist Roxanne Khamsi joins Nels and Vincent discuss her first book, Beyond Inheritance, which explores how DNA continuously mutates throughout our lives, challenging the idea that our genetic destiny is fixed at birth. Hosts: and Guest: Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the (Amazon) Timestamps by Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/41494605
TWiEVO 125: Evolution's egg timerNels and Vincent discuss the development of a comprehensive transcriptomic atlas of early embryogenesis from 61 animal species to understand the control of gene expression transitions from maternally deposited products to newly transcribed zygotic RNA. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Evolutionary landscapes of across animals (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/41023160
TWiEVO 124: The little ribozyme that couldNels and Vincent discuss the discovery of a short RNA with the ability to catalyze its own synthesis. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the A small (Science) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – by Alexander Clapp Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/40544415
TWiEVO 123: Stinkbug eggs with a schmear of fungusNels and Vincent explain how stinkbug females smear fungus on their eggs to protect them from wasp parasitism. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the on insect hindlegs (Science) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/40543785
TWiEVO 122: The evolution of selfishnessNels and Vincent explain how selfishness evolved multiple times from an essential tRNA synthetase gene in a nematode. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the from a tRNA synthetase gene (Nat Ecol Evol) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels - Vincent - Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/39968525
TWiEVO 121: AI imagines virusesNels and Vincent examines the use of AI and genome language models to design novel derivatives of bacteriophage phiX174. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the of bacteriophage phiX174 derivatives (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – and . Vincent – by John Archibald Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/39662635
TWiEVO 120: Sparkle ponyNels and Vincent explain research which shows that insertion of a retrovirus into the genome regulates a novel color trait in swordtail fish. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Retrovirus and (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – and Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/39661345
TWiEVO 119: Drive fast, take chances, and encode a Y chromosome Nels and Vincent explain research attempting to explain why among humans, females around the world live on average 5 years longer than males, but the trend is reversed in many birds, amphibians, and insects. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Sexual selection drives (Sci Adv) Timestamps by Science Picks 1:37:00 Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/38911735
TWiEVO 118: Mother of an unrelated brotherNels and Vincent discuss research which shows a shift from the rule that living organisms produce same-species offspring: an ant that produces individuals from two distinct species. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the David Baltimore interview () One mother for (Nature) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/38579045
TWiEVO 117: Genes that don't leaveNels and Vincent discuss research on hidden evolutionary constraints that dictate the retention of coronavirus accessory gene, which was flagged by NIH as potentially dangerous gain-of-function research. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the and retention of coronavirus accessory genes (Curr Biol) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – and Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/37895530
TWiEVO 116: An ant and two fungi walk into a bar and meet a naked mole ratNels and Vincent review research on how neuropeptides influence the behavior of leafcutter ants, and regulate the different caste behaviors such as defenders, leaf foragers, brood care, and fungus farming. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Neuropeptides and (Cell) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/37595605
TWiEVO 115: Even the archaea are going viralNels and Vincent discuss an ultra reduced archaeal genome, the closest cellular entity to date that approaches a viral strategy of existence. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Ultra-reduced (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/37062285
TWiEVO 114: The best experiments ever doneNels and Vincent review the properties of Mendel’s pea genes through the lens of modern genetic analysis. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Insights into (Nature) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/36865215
TWiEVO 113: A wolf in wolf's clothingNels and Vincent explain the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Evolution and ancestry of (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/36839300
TWiEVO 112: Sex-Z cephalopodsNels and Vincent explain the ancient evolutionary origin of sex in cephalopods. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Evolution of (Current Biol) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/35990760
TWiEVO 111: Copy that, genomeNels and Vincent explain how template switching during DNA replication is a widespread source of adaptive gene amplification. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the and gene amplification (eLife) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels –Jeremy Berg on Bluesky – jeremymberg.bsky.social Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/35979145
TWiEVO 110: Ants go from carpenters to surgeonsNels and Vincent reveal that worker ants amputate their colleagues injured leg to prevent infections. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Wound-dependent in ants (Curr Biol) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/35978795
TWiEVO 109: On the origins of orangeNels and Vincent discuss the molecular and genetic origins of sex-linked orange coat color in cats. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the in cats (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/34674725
TWiEVO 108: A virus in every parasiteNels and Vincent review the identification of a novel virus associated with the pathogen Plasmodium knowlsei and which is part part of a diverse and unclassified viral taxon. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the P. knowlsei (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/34308380
TWiEVO 107: One small step for cells, one giant step for cell kindNels and Vincent discuss the origins of eukaryotes, with contributions from at least 3 bacteria (alphaproteobacteria) and a large contribution from DNA viruses with large genomes. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the during eukaryogenesis (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/34303605
TWiEVO 106: What's old immunity is new againNels and Vincent explain how homology searches of anti-phage systems in eukaryotic genomes can be used to discover proteins of the human immune system. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the from antiphage systems (Cell Host Micro) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/33267237
TWiEVO 105: Not every rose has its thornNels and Vincent look at how plant prickles, sharp epidermal projections that provide defense from predators and other advantages, arose by convergent evolution, the emergence of analogous traits in distantly related species. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the of plant prickles (Science) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/33266577
TWiEVO 104: Wooly mammoth prosciuttoNels and Vincent discuss the genome sequence of an ancient wooly mammoth, which shows that the three-dimensional architecture of the DNA can persist after 50,000 years. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Three dimensional architecture of genome (Cell) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/32366157
TWiEVO 103: Change the world by duplicating yourselfNels and Vincent explore a direct experimental test of Ohno’s Hypothesis, which states that gene duplication can help genes tolerate new mutations and thus facilitates the evolution of new phenotypes. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Direct test of (eLive) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/32058592
TWiEVO 102: Kelp gets some viral helpNels and Vincent explain how deep genomics of macroalgae illuminate multiple paths to aquatic, photosynthetic multicellularity. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Paths to aquatic, (Mol Plant) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – and the follow up Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/31213442
TWiEVO 101: 99 problems but a tail ain't oneNels and Vincent review the genetic basis for tail-loss evolution in humans and apes. Hosts: and Subscribe (free): , , , of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the Genetic basis of in apes (Nature) Timestamps by Science Picks Nels – Vincent – Music on TWiEVO is performed by Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]/episode/index/show/twievo/id/31205152
