Mutation

Too many good mutations can actually be bad for a species’ evolution

Mutation is one of the big driving forces behind evolution, as it can allow species to quickly gain the genetic tools necessary to survive and adapt. But even the perfect mutation can mean trouble if it can’t work with others. That’s the finding of researchers at the University of Houston, who recently concluded a five-year…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins Jun 2

Did hammerhead sharks begin with one freakish mutant?

Hammerhead sharks are among the strangest creatures on Earth, with seemingly misshapen heads that actually give them 360-degree vision. But what evolutionary path could lead to such bizarre features? As this video suggests, it might be a single freak mutation. This clip from BBC Earth offers the only slightly crazy theory that hammerhead sharks are…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins Mar 14

Fish in polluted waters have evolved into toxin-resistant super mutants

The Atlantic tomcod that live in the heavily polluted Hudson River have come up with an extreme solution to deal with all the toxins surrounding them: mutate, and mutate fast. But though their super-speedy adaptation has allowed them to survive over thirty years in the dirty rivers, it may have come at a terrible price.…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins Feb 17

“Earthworm Jim” creator brings rat-powered superhero to webcomics

Earthworm Jim and Ghostopolis creator Doug TenNapel returns to “the dorky hero genre” with webcomic Ratfist, the absurd tale of a non-powered superhero who finds himself suddenly mutating. Oh, and he dresses like a rat. TenNapel explains that he wanted to return to the genre of Earthworm Jim and to hand-drawn comics after creating three…

io9 Lauren Davis Jan 22

Great Moments in Crazy Human Mutation

The sight of men and women changing into something new, different, and — albeit rarely — better has transfixed audiences for decades. Usually gory, frequently scary, and occasionally hilarious, here are some of cinema’s greatest moments of mutant transformation. SCANNERS The first time David Cronenberg blew minds — his characters’ and ours. Featuring some astonishing…

Movies Marc Bernardin May 6

Stan Lee’s New TV Series Celebrates Real-Life Mutants

Reality has caught up with Stan Lee’s mutant fantasies, judging by his new History Channel series, called Stan Lee’s Superhumans. Airing this fall, Superhumans will feature “genetically different” people who have fantastic abilities. The worlds’ most flexible man will co-host.

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders May 5

Two-Headed Lizard Keeps Trying To Eat Its Own Head

This two-headed bobtail lizard from Perth, Australia has two brains, and it consequently has trouble moving its hindlegs. But that’s not its biggest problem – no, the lizard’s larger head wants to devour its smaller one. Talk about self-loathing. [Via SFGate. Photo: Paul Kane / Getty Images.]

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Apr 25

Are Trackpads Making Our Hands Mutate?

Former industrial designer Hemmant Jha recently noticed something odd. Two fingers on his dominant hand are somehow more rigid and firm than any of the others. He suspects that years of two-finger scrolling on his MacBook Pro are the cause. I have slim and flexible fingers. Not given to needless physical activity like working out…

Tech News Hemmant Jha Dec 21

Infant-Sized Teenager May Provide Key to Reversing the Aging Process

Brooke Greenberg looks like a toddler, but she is actually sixteen years old. She is only 30 inches high. Now scientists are studying her genome to figure out whether she possesses a mutation that prevents her body from aging. Greenberg also possesses the mental capacity of an infant, and has never learned to speak or…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jun 25

All the Ways We Can Mess Up Your Brain

Yesterday we told you all about a recent study where a group of researchers identified the genes responsible for brain development in the womb. We pointed out, in our usual excitable way, that this discovery is the first step on the road to tinkering with those genes to produce mega-geniuses and mindless drones. The researchers…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jul 7

A Genetic Mutation That Causes Humans to Walk on All Fours

In 2005, scientists discovered a few families in Hungary where some of the adults only walked on all fours. Few understood the causes of this rare condition, called Unertan syndrome. Some scientists speculated that the quadrupedal people had simply never learned to walk upright due to learning disabilities and lack of access to proper medical…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jun 2

Pollution is Mutating Your Sperm at an Alarming Rate

People living in areas with airborne toxins and pollution are likely to develop 60 percent more mutations in their sperm than people living in areas with relatively clean air. Sperm mutations could lead to infertility for the man, or might make his children suffer any number of birth defects. Will this quickly lead to a…

io9 Annalee Newitz Feb 6

The Horrifying Beauty of Mutants

Toxins in the water did this. Image via Getty.

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 2

Mist Mutations Are the Latest Fashion in Hollywood

Stephen King’s The Mist is vaporizing from theaters left and right, but there’s already another fog-shrouded mutant mist movie heading to your multiplex. Night & Fog, which is in production with Myriad Pictures, has a very familiar-sounding plot: military experiment on a remote island results in monsters in the mist. Got your lawyer on speed…

io9 Kevin Kelly Dec 6

Too many good mutations can actually be bad for a species’ evolution

Did hammerhead sharks begin with one freakish mutant?

Fish in polluted waters have evolved into toxin-resistant super mutants

“Earthworm Jim” creator brings rat-powered superhero to webcomics

Great Moments in Crazy Human Mutation

Stan Lee’s New TV Series Celebrates Real-Life Mutants

Two-Headed Lizard Keeps Trying To Eat Its Own Head

Are Trackpads Making Our Hands Mutate?

Infant-Sized Teenager May Provide Key to Reversing the Aging Process

All the Ways We Can Mess Up Your Brain

A Genetic Mutation That Causes Humans to Walk on All Fours

Pollution is Mutating Your Sperm at an Alarming Rate

The Horrifying Beauty of Mutants

Mist Mutations Are the Latest Fashion in Hollywood

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