How did viruses evolve? Are they a streamlined form of something that existed long ago, or an ultimate culmination of smaller genetic elements joined together? Aa Aa Aa The evolutionary history of viruses represents a fascinating, albeit murky, topic for ...

Researchers have proposed a new evolutionary model for the origin of a kingdom of viruses called Bamfordvirae, suggesting a billion-years evolutionary arms race between two groups within this kingdom and their hosts. Researchers have proposed a new ...

Nipah Virus is a deadly zoonotic threat that has resurfaced in some parts of the globe, further raising global health concerns

Ushikuvirus is a newly identified giant virus that infects amoebas, adding to a growing group of oversized viruses that scientists believe may have played an important role in the emergence of complex cellular life.

As humans alter the planet’s climate and ecosystems, scientists are looking to Earth’s history to help predict what may unfold from climate change. To this end, massive ice structures like glaciers serve as nature’s freezers, archiving detailed ...

In 2003, Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus, also known as mimivirus, was the first giant virus to be described. It's larger than many bacteria, and was found in a water sample from a hospital cooling tower in England. Viruses are supposed to be tiny and ...

Scientists estimate that the earliest biological entities began to appear on Earth more than 4 billion years ago. "There was a sort of primordial soup from which certain organic molecules were formed. These were precursors to RNA and DNA," carbon ...

Events such as the World Cup could have facilitated the spread, scientists say. — -- It’s not just humans who can travel rapidly across the world. Viruses and disease-spreading insects and animals can hitch a ride on various modes of travel and the ...