Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Read our October issue Featuring research on feliform evolution, forest fragmentation from roads, gene-regulatory evolution in salmonids, and a Review of bright spots in conservation Ecological role of emergent properties in the chemodiversity landscape Many biotic interactions occur via chemical compounds released in the environment. Here the authors review the field of chemical ecology and discuss the importance of investigating landscape-scale chemodiversity as an emergent, dynamic property of biological communities. Maximilian Hanusch Thomas Dussarrat Robin Heinen Review Article 18 May 2026 Ecological role of emergent properties in the chemodiversity landscape Many biotic interactions occur via chemical compounds released in the environment. Here the authors review the field of chemical ecology and discuss the importance of investigating landscape-scale chemodiversity as an emergent, dynamic property of biological communities. Maximilian Hanusch Thomas Dussarrat A global research coordination programme is urgently needed for biodiversity Mark C. Urban Damaris Zurell Haigen Xu Correspondence 26 Jun 2026 A global research coordination programme is urgently needed for biodiversity An ancient anthozoan protein reveals an alternative evolutionary path of antiviral signalling Experiments in Nematostella vectensis identify CARDIB as an anthozoan-specific antiviral mediator with sequence and structural homology to the mammalian immune-activating MAVS protein but with opposing, immune-repressing functions. Ton Sharoni Adrian Jaimes-Becerra Yehu Moran Article 26 Jun 2026 An ancient anthozoan protein reveals an alternative evolutionary path of antiviral signalling Experiments in Nematostella vectensis identify CARDIB as an anthozoan-specific antiviral mediator with sequence and structural homology to the mammalian immune-activating MAVS protein but with opposing, immune-repressing functions. Adrian Jaimes-Becerra The influence of reproductive mode on resource competition and diversity patterns in Ediacaran early animal communities The appearance of the first animals in the late Ediacaran period was followed by a period of relatively slow diversification. Here the authors show that asexual stoloniferous reproduction would have enabled co-existence of suboptimal interspecific competitors and constrained diversification. Emily G. Mitchell Andrea Manica Article Open Access 09 Jun 2026 The influence of reproductive mode on resource competition and diversity patterns in Ediacaran early animal communities The appearance of the first animals in the late Ediacaran period was followed by a period of relatively slow diversification. Here the authors show that asexual stoloniferous reproduction would have enabled co-existence of suboptimal interspecific competitors and constrained diversification. Emily G. Mitchell High-integrity biodiversity credits through recognition of culturally salient species Charis Enns Brock Bersaglio Natalie York Comment 18 Aug 2026 High-integrity biodiversity credits through recognition of culturally salient species Brock Bersaglio Symbiosis without codiversification Vera Domingues Research Highlight 15 Sept 2026 Symbiosis without codiversification Declining cicadas Walter Andriuzzi Research Highlight 15 Sept 2026 Declining cicadas Walter Andriuzzi Unifying bright spots research for people and nature Bing Lin Joshua E. Cinner Review Article 05 Oct 2026 Unifying bright spots research for people and nature Joshua E. Cinner Adaptive zones of feliforms and evolutionary regimes within terrestrial mammalian carnivores Paul Z. Barrett Samantha S. B. Hopkins Article 09 Sept 2026 Adaptive zones of feliforms and evolutionary regimes within terrestrial mammalian carnivores Paul Z. Barrett Samantha S. B. Hopkins Animal degradation of microbial storage polyhydroxyalkanoates Caroline Zeidler Harald R. Gruber-Vodicka Maggie Sogin Article Open Access 13 Aug 2026 Animal degradation of microbial storage polyhydroxyalkanoates Caroline Zeidler Harald R. Gruber-Vodicka Evolution in medicine Pressing medical issues such as cancer, infectious disease and drug resistance are products of evolution. In this Focus issue we publish opinion and research on how evolutionary principles and new technologies can inform prediction and control of disease. Evolution in medicine Pressing medical issues such as cancer, infectious disease and drug resistance are products of evolution. In this Focus issue we publish opinion and research on how evolutionary principles and new technologies can inform prediction and control of disease. Celebrating Bates 2025 marks 200 years since the birth of Henry Walter Bates, who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in butterflies. To commemorate this anniversary, we bring together a selection of research articles and news and opinion pieces on mimicry and other forms of deception from across journals in the Nature portfolio. Celebrating Bates 2025 marks 200 years since the birth of Henry Walter Bates, who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in butterflies. To commemorate this anniversary, we bring together a selection of research articles and news and opinion pieces on mimicry and other forms of deception from across journals in the Nature portfolio. Latest Research articles Biodiversity safeguards ecosystem services and functions worldwide An analysis of a global database of 423 studies and >200,000 data points outlines the strength and generality of biodiversity relationships with ecosystem functioning and services. Emma R. Moffett Joel H. Gayford William D. Pearse Article Open Access 06 Oct 2026 Biodiversity safeguards ecosystem services and functions worldwide An analysis of a global database of 423 studies and >200,000 data points outlines the strength and generality of biodiversity relationships with ecosystem functioning and services. Emma R. Moffett Joel H. Gayford William D. Pearse Avian migration timing advances linked to season-dependent population benefits Analysing a global database of migration timing for 549 bird species together with a full annual cycle theoretical model, the authors show that migration has advanced by >13 days since 1970 and that this has been beneficial in terms of abundance only in the pre-breeding migratory period. Jin Liu Wenjing Xu Shaopeng Wang Article 02 Oct 2026 Avian migration timing advances linked to season-dependent population benefits Analysing a global database of migration timing for 549 bird species together with a full annual cycle theoretical model, the authors show that migration has advanced by >13 days since 1970 and that this has been beneficial in terms of abundance only in the pre-breeding migratory period. An ancient evolutionary origin for IL-1 cytokines Protein-structure prediction identifies a family of IL-1 protein homologues in Eumetazoa, which are characterized for expression, localization and function in sea lamprey and purple sea urchin. Francisco Fontenla-Iglesias Tse-Mao Lin Sebastian D. Fugmann Article Open Access 30 Sept 2026 An ancient evolutionary origin for IL-1 cytokines Protein-structure prediction identifies a family of IL-1 protein homologues in Eumetazoa, which are characterized for expression, localization and function in sea lamprey and purple sea urchin. Francisco Fontenla-Iglesias Sebastian D. Fugmann Global patterns in plant–pollinator specialization Plant–pollinator networks vary tremendously across ecosystems. Here the authors use a global standardized dataset of plant–pollinator interactions to explore geographic patterns of specialization and their dependence on climate variables and taxonomic and functional identity. Sailee P. Sakhalkar Nico Blüthgen Robert Tropek Article 30 Sept 2026 Global patterns in plant–pollinator specialization Plant–pollinator networks vary tremendously across ecosystems. Here the authors use a global standardized dataset of plant–pollinator interactions to explore geographic patterns of specialization and their dependence on climate variables and taxonomic and functional identity. Sailee P. Sakhalkar Developmental contexts of gene-regulatory evolution following whole genome duplication in salmonids A comparative analysis of multiomics data from embryonic and adult tissues of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout reveals developmental and tissue-specific constraints shaping regulatory evolution following whole genome duplication. Marie-Odile Baudement Diego Perojil Morata Daniel J. Macqueen Article Open Access 29 Sept 2026 Developmental contexts of gene-regulatory evolution following whole genome duplication in salmonids A comparative analysis of multiomics data from embryonic and adult tissues of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout reveals developmental and tissue-specific constraints shaping regulatory evolution following whole genome duplication. Marie-Odile Baudement Diego Perojil Morata Daniel J. Macqueen Global sea-level rise will create a new biological invasion front Sea-level rise may create a new front for the landward expansion of marine invaders into inundated areas. The authors explore the probability of this, projecting that more than two-thirds of inundated land areas would be suitable for 122 non-native animals already established in adjacent marine ecoregions under future sea-level-rise scenarios. Zhixin Zhang Zhuo Yan Xuan Liu Article 28 Sept 2026 Global sea-level rise will create a new biological invasion front Sea-level rise may create a new front for the landward expansion of marine invaders into inundated areas. The authors explore the probability of this, projecting that more than two-thirds of inundated land areas would be suitable for 122 non-native animals already established in adjacent marine ecoregions under future sea-level-rise scenarios. Latest Reviews & Analysis More biodiversity means stronger, more reliable ecosystem functioning worldwide A global synthesis reveals that biodiversity is a major driver of ecosystem functioning and service delivery, and that biodiversity loss is likely to have widespread effects on people and ecosystems. Research Briefing 07 Oct 2026 Unifying bright spots research for people and nature This Review presents a typology for how to identify and interpret bright spots, or positive deviance, in conservation and sustainability science—cases where unexpectedly positive outcomes occur despite local constraints. Bing Lin Joshua E. Cinner Review Article 05 Oct 2026 Interaction matrices as unifying tools for navigating ecological complexity The interaction matrix is a widely used tool in community ecology. In this Review, the authors outline this approach and discuss how to tackle its challenges. J. Christopher D. Terry Andrea Tabi Virginia Domínguez-García Review Article 05 Oct 2026 Development constrains the evolution of gene regulation after whole-genome duplication Large-scale multiomics in two salmonids reveals that developmental and tissue-specific programmes dictate the evolutionary fate of duplicated gene expression and regulatory element activity after whole-genome duplication, with the vertebrate phylotypic stage representing the peak of regulatory constraint. Our study suggests that enhancers, transposons and conserved non-coding elements influence duplicate gene expression evolution. Research Briefing 29 Sept 2026 A tsunami of genome reshuffling Generation-by-generation ancestry tracking in hybrid stickleback shows that hybrid incompatibilities drive rapid removal of introgressed alleles following a tsunami. Kelsie E. Hunnicutt News & Views 25 Sept 2026 More biodiversity means stronger, more reliable ecosystem functioning worldwide A global synthesis reveals that biodiversity is a major driver of ecosystem functioning and service delivery, and that biodiversity loss is likely to have widespread effects on people and ecosystems. Research Briefing 07 Oct 2026 More biodiversity means stronger, more reliable ecosystem functioning worldwide A global synthesis reveals that biodiversity is a major driver of ecosystem functioning and service delivery, and that biodiversity loss is likely to have widespread effects on people and ecosystems. Unifying bright spots research for people and nature This Review presents a typology for how to identify and interpret bright spots, or positive deviance, in conservation and sustainability science—cases where unexpectedly positive outcomes occur despite local constraints. Bing Lin Joshua E. Cinner Review Article 05 Oct 2026 Unifying bright spots research for people and nature This Review presents a typology for how to identify and interpret bright spots, or positive deviance, in conservation and sustainability science—cases where unexpectedly positive outcomes occur despite local constraints.

Joshua E. Cinner Interaction matrices as unifying tools for navigating ecological complexity The interaction matrix is a widely used tool in community ecology. In this Review, the authors outline this approach and discuss how to tackle its challenges. J. Christopher D. Terry Andrea Tabi Virginia Domínguez-García Review Article 05 Oct 2026 Interaction matrices as unifying tools for navigating ecological complexity The interaction matrix is a widely used tool in community ecology. In this Review, the authors outline this approach and discuss how to tackle its challenges. J. Christopher D. Terry Virginia Domínguez-García Development constrains the evolution of gene regulation after whole-genome duplication Large-scale multiomics in two salmonids reveals that developmental and tissue-specific programmes dictate the evolutionary fate of duplicated gene expression and regulatory element activity after whole-genome duplication, with the vertebrate phylotypic stage representing the peak of regulatory constraint. Our study suggests that enhancers, transposons and conserved non-coding elements influence duplicate gene expression evolution. Research Briefing 29 Sept 2026 Development constrains the evolution of gene regulation after whole-genome duplication Large-scale multiomics in two salmonids reveals that developmental and tissue-specific programmes dictate the evolutionary fate of duplicated gene expression and regulatory element activity after whole-genome duplication, with the vertebrate phylotypic stage representing the peak of regulatory constraint. Our study suggests that enhancers, transposons and conserved non-coding elements influence duplicate gene expression evolution. A tsunami of genome reshuffling Generation-by-generation ancestry tracking in hybrid stickleback shows that hybrid incompatibilities drive rapid removal of introgressed alleles following a tsunami. Kelsie E. Hunnicutt News & Views 25 Sept 2026 A tsunami of genome reshuffling Generation-by-generation ancestry tracking in hybrid stickleback shows that hybrid incompatibilities drive rapid removal of introgressed alleles following a tsunami. Kelsie E. Hunnicutt Ancient vocabulary for evolving cells Kun Wang News & Views 08 Sept 2026 Pepper centromeres sit within ultra-long, trait-linked haplotypes Research Briefing 24 Aug 2026 Trophic hotspots as a perspective for understanding and managing ecosystem function Timothy J. Fernandes Kayla R. S. Hale Kevin S. McCann Perspective 17 Aug 2026 Forecasting cyanobacterial blooms requires improved understanding of species interactions Research Briefing 22 Jul 2026 Ancient vocabulary for evolving cells Kun Wang News & Views 08 Sept 2026 Ancient vocabulary for evolving cells Pepper centromeres sit within ultra-long, trait-linked haplotypes Research Briefing 24 Aug 2026 Pepper centromeres sit within ultra-long, trait-linked haplotypes Trophic hotspots as a perspective for understanding and managing ecosystem function Timothy J. Fernandes Kayla R. S. Hale Kevin S. McCann Perspective 17 Aug 2026 Trophic hotspots as a perspective for understanding and managing ecosystem function Timothy J. Fernandes Kayla R. S. Hale Kevin S. McCann Forecasting cyanobacterial blooms requires improved understanding of species interactions Research Briefing 22 Jul 2026 Forecasting cyanobacterial blooms requires improved understanding of species interactions Combining conservation strategies Walter Andriuzzi Research Highlight 07 Oct 2026 Combining conservation strategies Walter Andriuzzi Remodelling of the chicken hippocampus Vaishali Bhaumik Research Highlight 23 Sept 2026 Remodelling of the chicken hippocampus Vaishali Bhaumik Aurochs admixture Devin L. Ward Research Highlight 22 Sept 2026 Aurochs admixture The ethical costs of remotely sensing tropical forest understories Spaceborne and airborne scanning technologies are revolutionizing the study of tropical forest understories. As these datasets rapidly expand, we argue for systematic ethical consideration of whether and how to reveal the information they contain. Gabriel Hes Sylvain Kuppel Patrick Roberts Comment 16 Sept 2026 The ethical costs of remotely sensing tropical forest understories Spaceborne and airborne scanning technologies are revolutionizing the study of tropical forest understories. As these datasets rapidly expand, we argue for systematic ethical consideration of whether and how to reveal the information they contain. Patrick Roberts Declining cicadas Walter Andriuzzi Research Highlight 15 Sept 2026 Declining cicadas Walter Andriuzzi Symbiosis without codiversification Vera Domingues Research Highlight 15 Sept 2026 Symbiosis without codiversification Trending - Altmetric Giant tortoise genomes provide insights into longevity and age-related disease Giant tortoise genomes provide insights into longevity and age-related disease Rapid genome-wide purging following tsunami-induced hybridization in a stickleback population Rapid genome-wide purging following tsunami-induced hybridization in a stickleback population Biodiversity safeguards ecosystem services and functions worldwide Biodiversity safeguards ecosystem services and functions worldwide Unifying bright spots research for people and nature Unifying bright spots research for people and nature Open-Rank Faculty Position in Theoretical Biology The Department of Biological Sciences seeks an outstanding individual for an open-rank faculty position in Theoretical Biology. Nashville, Tennessee Vanderbilt University Department of Biological Sciences Open-Rank Faculty Position in Theoretical Biology The Department of Biological Sciences seeks an outstanding individual for an open-rank faculty position in Theoretical Biology. Nashville, Tennessee Vanderbilt University Department of Biological Sciences Global Recruitment for Faculty and Researchers at Anhui Normal University Anhui Normal University sincerely invites outstanding researchers and academics worldwide to join its faculty. Wuhu, Anhui (CN) Anhui Normal University Global Recruitment for Faculty and Researchers at Anhui Normal University Anhui Normal University sincerely invites outstanding researchers and academics worldwide to join its faculty. Wuhu, Anhui (CN) Anhui Normal University Strategic Scientist, Outstanding Youg Investigator, and Postdoctoral Positions at CIBCAS CIB invites distinguished Strategic Scientist, Outstanding Young Investigator, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Chengdu, Sichuan (CN) Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Scientist, Outstanding Youg Investigator, and Postdoctoral Positions at CIBCAS CIB invites distinguished Strategic Scientist, Outstanding Young Investigator, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Chengdu, Sichuan (CN) Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School Join Tsinghua SIGS as a faculty member and contribute to academic excellence and global impact. Tsinghua SIGS is located in Shenzhen, a vibrant innovation hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School Join Tsinghua SIGS as a faculty member and contribute to academic excellence and global impact. Tsinghua SIGS is located in Shenzhen, a vibrant innovation hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School Assistant professor in plant-microbe interactions The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, is offering a position as Assistant professor focusing on interactions between the barley genome and root microbial assembly Aarhus, Midtjylland (DK) Aarhus University (AU) Assistant professor in plant-microbe interactions The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, is offering a position as Assistant professor focusing on interactions between the barley genome and root microbial assembly Aarhus, Midtjylland (DK) Aarhus University (AU) Explore articles by subject Guide to authors Editorial policies