Transmissible cancers and the evolution of sex under the Red Queen hypothesis
The predominance of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes remains paradoxical in evolutionary theory. Of the hypotheses proposed to resolve this paradox, the ‘Red Queen hypothesis’ emphasises the potential of antagonistic interactions to cause fluctuating selection, which...
Cancer progression as a sequence of atavistic reversions: New model shows role of ancient genes in the spread of cancer
In spite of decades of research, cancer remains an enigma. Conventional wisdom holds that cancer is driven by random mutations that create aberrant cells that run amok in the body. In a new paper published this week in the journal BioEssays ACE researchers and...
Why Asian elephants get more cancer and infectious diseases than African elephants
Though cancer in elephants is rare, it does sometimes occur – more often in Asian elephants than in the 2 species of elephants found in Africa. This fascinating study by ACE members published May 2021 in Molecular Biology and Evolution explains why, and makes...
Identifying key questions in the ecology and evolution of cancer
This Perspective research paper published in Evolutionary Applications in 2021 provides a roadmap for studying cancer through the lens of evolution and ecology and suggests 84 important questions that should be addressed in coming years. Amongst the 30 plus experts...
Litter size relates to cancer risk; body mass and longevity do not
Why are some species of mammals more vulnerable to cancer than others? It’s an important question since the answers may guide us to new understandings of cancer development in humans. In a careful analysis of 42 years of necropsy data from San Diego Zoo and...
