Lassen Sie sich ein auf eine spannende Zeitreise zu den Ursprüngen des Lebens - das Standardwerk zur Evolutionsbiologie in neuer Auflage! In diesem rundum überarbeiteten Lehrbuch wird die Evolutionsbiologie umfassend und eindrucksvoll dargestellt - zahlreiche neue und verbesserte Abbildungen machen die großen Themenbereiche der Evolutionsbiologie in der Neuauflage noch anschaulicher. Die Themenschwerpunkte reichen von den wissenschaftstheoretischen Grundlagen, dem Neodarwinismus und der erweiterten Synthetischen Theorie über evolutionäre Verhaltensforschung und Psychologie bis zum Kreationismus, Atheismus und zur evolutionären Ethik. Ideal zum Lernen, zur Prüfungsvorbereitung im Studium oder zum Nachschlagen! Durch das besondere Konzept liefert die Neuauflage nicht nur angehenden Biologen aller Studienrichtungen, sondern auch Medizinern, Psychologen und Theologen grundlegendes Basis- und Spezialwissen auf dem aktuellsten Stand der Wissenschaft.

Francis Darwin (1848-1925) was one of the first to study in detail the development and function of stomata. However, since the green leaves of flowering plants are the most conspicuous and suitable organs for the study of cell development and transpiration activity, most of this "Darwinian" research has focused on these sun-exposed organs. In this study, we analyzed the development of stomata along the hypocotyl of 5-day-old light-grown sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seedlings. We document a positive correlation between cell density and DNA content along the axial organ, and the step-by-step development of fully functional stomata in the meristematic region. However, along the stem, from tip to base, the size of the guard cells remained largely constant, whereas the epidermal cells in the neighborhood of the guard cells elongate by 100%, and those farther away by almost 300%. We suggest that symplastic isolation of dumbbell-shaped guard cells is responsible for this lack of growth, and that an inhibitory effect of the guard cells is involved. In addition, we discover and describe epiphytic bacteria on some of the epidermal cells investigated. The role of these microbes, as commensals or symbionts, is unknown.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Sir Francis Darwin (1848-1925), the biologist/naturalist, musicologist, and biographer/philosopher of science in the shadow of father Charles (1809-1882). Francis was the seventh child and third son of the British couple. Here, we present a concise biography of Francis Darwin, based on his neglected "Recollections" published in his book Springtime and other Essays (1920). We summarize the scientific legacy of the younger Darwin with a focus on the "root-brain-hypotheses", as described in the 1880- "Darwin & Darwin book The Power of Movements in Plants, his extensive work on water-loss (transpiration) in plants via the stomata, and the Francis D.-papers on music instruments. In addition, we shed new light on the well-known "Darwin-Julius Sachs"-controversy of the 1880s. Finally, we document that the Biologist Francis Darwin was also a musician and polymath, with broad expertise in the natural sciences and the humanities alike.

In 1872, the 6th (last) edition of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species was published, wherein he had added a well-known section on Mivart's criticism of 1871 concerning natural selection.Here, we describe Darwin's ideas on "lower vs. higher organisms", inclusive of his hypothesis of steady "perfection" and species co-existence during the evolutionary history of life.In addition, Darwin discussed evolution with reference to ecological interactions, proposed the concept of "competitive exclusion", and, in our view, founded "evolutionary ecology".These concepts were not addressed in the first, frequently quoted text of 1859.Therefore, we present Darwin's ignored section with reference to a major recent paper on "Co-existence of plant species under harsh environmental conditions", as well as our own observations on marsh vegetation in the San Francisco Bay Estuary.We conclude that "Darwin 1872" should be recognized as the definitive version of the "Species Book", as recommended by the author himself and with reference to

In 1723, Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek, the “master of fleas and father of microbiology”, died at the age of 90 [...]

The evolution of biparental sexual reproduction in animals and plants is a prominent focus in modern biology. One hundred and fifty years ago, the German biologist Julius Sachs (1832–1897) published the fourth and final edition of his influential Textbook of Botany. In the text, he referred to the work of Wilhelm Hofmeister (1824–1877) and proposed that it is possible to reconstruct the origins and evolution of sexuality via systematic comparisons among the life cycles of simple versus complex organisms. Sachs’s 1874 book presented the green alga Pandorina as an example of ancestral life cycles, and that of the land plants as the most complex photosynthetic organisms. Herein, we describe the 150-year-old hypothesis proposed by Sachs and show how the purported “architect of modern plant physiology” provided insights into (1) recent papers implicating the role of HMG-box genes for the expression of male versus female sex determination in complex eukaryotes, such as animals, brown algae, and fungi; and (2) the continuing debate about the meaning of homology in the context of evolution. We conclude that the physiologist Sachs, along with Hofmeister, was also one of the founders of comparative sex research in animals and plants.

Over the past decades, freshwater leeches of the genus Helobdella Blanchard, 1896 (Annelida: Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) have been used as model organisms for developmental studies.Notably, the species "Helobdella triserialis US", discovered during the 1970s in ponds in San Francisco (California , USA) was kept in lab-populations and served as representative of the genus, as documented in numerous publications.Here, I show that this enigmatic "San Francisco Bay area leech" has been misclassified and confused with the South American species H. triserialis (E.Blanchard, 1849), and later with H. papillata (Moore, 1952).Using specimens collected in Matadero Creek, Palo Alto (California , USA), novel morphological, anatomical, behavioral and molecular data (novel mitochondrial 618 bp-COI gene sequence) were generated.Based on these results, it is shown that this taxon represents a new North American species, described here as Helobdella farmeri n. sp.In addition, the occurrence of extant and extinct populations of Helobdella sp. in natural habitats of Northern California is documented over the past three decades.

The British Naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), who was born 200 years ago, argued in a popular book of 1903 that carbon dioxide (CO2) is enriched in exhaled air of humans, and bad for our health, but essential to plant development. With reference to the 2023 World Climate Declaration, we document that exhaled CO2 drastically promotes the growth of a representative land pant. Using regenerated cuttings of Tradescantia geniculata, raised in moist soil, we show that, within 21 days of growth in a day-/night-cycle, CO2-enrichment (ca. 4 vol. % vs. 0.04 vol. % in the control) exerts the following effects: Average stem length is doubled, a three-fold enhancement in the number of branches occurs, and adventitious roots, plus flowers, develop. This CO2-fertilisation-experiment is discussed in the light of the “Global Greening”-phenomenon, documented as large increase in plant biomass since ca. 1850. We also address negative effects of further rising CO2-levels in the atmosphere on the global environment in the ongoing Anthropocene. Finally, we point out that A. R. Wallace was not only a theorizing explorer of nature, but also an expert in animal- and plant physiology.

The Dutch scientist and entrepreneur Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was the first to discover and describe microorganisms (protists, bacteria), living beings he characterized as "animalcules" (little animals) [...].

In a recent Review Article on Gregor Mendel's (1822-1884) work with pea (Pisum sativum)-plants, it was proposed that this crop species should be re-vitalized as a model organism for the study of cell- and organ growth. Here, we describe the effect of exogenous gibberellic acid (GA(3)) on the growth of the second internode in 4-day-old light-grown pea seedlings (Pisum sativum, large var. "Senator"). lnjection of glucose into the internode caused a growth-promoting effect similar to that of the hormone GA(3). Imbibition of dry pea seeds in GA(3), or water as control, resulted in a drastic enhancement in organ development in this tall variety. Similar results were reported for dwarf peas. These "classical" experimental protocols are suitable to study the elusive effect of gibberellins (which act in coordination with auxin) on the regulation of plant development at the biochemical and molecular levels.

Fifty years ago, the enigmatic Brazilian myxomycete-species Didymium aquatile was described and analyzed with respect to the structure of the plasmodium and its spores. In this study, we compare this rare plasmodial slime mold with another, temporarily aquatic taxon from Europe, Didymium nigripes . Phenotypic plasticity of D. nigripes was investigated under various environmental conditions. Large changes in the morphology of the plasmodia were observed. For species identification, characteristics of the fruiting bodies are key features. However, Didymium aquatile was only characterized by its “abnormal” plasmodia, but no molecular data were available. Here, we analyzed DNA-sequences of 22 species of the genera Didymium and Diderma with a focus on this South American taxon via molecular genetics. A comparison of 18S-rDNA-sequences from D. aquatile and 21 other Didymium (and Diderma )-species indicates that D. aquatile is a reproductively isolated morpho-species. Phenotypic plasticity of D. nigripes is documented with respect to plasmodium morphology and the formation of fruiting bodies, as an example of an adaptation of a terrestrial species to aquatic environments.

Julius Sachs (1832–1897), who has been quite rightly called “the father of plant physiology,” was a German physiologist of international standing, whose research interests contributed to virtually every branch of the plant sciences, and whose work presaged plant molecular biology and systems biology. Here, we focus on one of his last publications, from 1892, wherein he argued that the term “cell” ( Zelle ) is misleading and should be replaced by “energid” ( Energide ), which he defined as “a nucleus together with the corresponding protoplasm that is governed by it,” based on his observations of coenocytic algae such as Caulerpa whose nuclei “can only control” so much cytoplasm. Although most of his colleagues did not accept this novel terminology for the description of the “basic, minimal living unit” ( Elementarorganismus ) of animals, plants, and microbes, we argue that the energid concept prefigured the subsequent discovery of mRNA. We also argue that the resistance to the energid concept revolved around a deep-seated philosophical debate between those adhering to cell theory versus organismal theory. The first English translation of the seminal work by Sachs, “Physiologische Notizen. II. Beiträge zur Zellentheorie. a) Energiden und Zellen,” originally published in Flora (75: 57–67, 1892), is provided as a separate article in this volume as part of the journal’s “Classics in Biological Theory” collection ( https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-022-00399-w ); the original German version is available here as supplementary material in the online version of this article.

In humans, the Covid-19 disease is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus spread in December 2019 in Wuhan/China, and via unrestricted travel, quickly reached other continents. On 12th March 2020, the WHO classed Covid-19 as a global pandemic. In many cases, Covid-19 symptoms begin as a respiratory infection. If not defended against, the virus spreads from the lungs to attack other vital organs, including the brain. Covid-19 causes a serious infection in mostly elderly people (over 65 years old), and displays a sex difference upon victims, with older men over twice as likely to die compared to same-age women. Here, we provide an evolutionary explanation and contextualize this biological phenomenon against the cultural backdrop of the “gender wars”. We focus on the triadic relation between the brain, immunity, and hormones in men vs. women, with reference to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS)-relationship.

As detailed in a Letter published in Science in 2017, the adherents of creationism and intelligent design are still active in promoting their biblical-literalist views of the origin and evolution of life on Earth. In this contribution, we take a look at this ideological phenomenon in the USA and analyze the philosophical roots of this ongoing movement. Specifically, we discuss Vernon Kellogg's book entitled Headquarters Nights (1917) with reference to the German 'Allmacht' (English-omnipotence) and Darwinian evolution to demonstrate how this publication bolstered the development of active anti-evolutionism in the USA among American fundamentalist Christians, inclusive of the Intelligent Design (ID)-agenda. The current activities of creationist associations in the USA and Germany are summarized, with reference to a new pro-ID-group established in Austria in 2019 that is sponsored by the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington (USA).

Die aus Argentinien und anderen Regionen Sudamerikas stammende, seit 2008 wiederholt uber Blumenerde importierte, u. a. in Frankreich vorkommende rauberische Obama nungara konnte erstmals fur Deutschland nachgewiesen werden. Ein im April 2021 in Regensburg (Bayern) gefundenes, ca. 4 cm langes Exemplar wurde kultiviert und untersucht. Die Landplanarie meidet stehendes Wasser; sie ernahrt sich von kleinen Regenwurmern und Gehauseschnecken. Einheimische Suswasserplanarien werden von O. nungara gejagt und verschlungen, Muckenlarven und Kellerasseln hingegen ignoriert. Ob es zu einer Bioinvasion kommen wird, ist derzeit noch unbekannt.

Plants are characterized by a post-embryonic mode of organ development, which results in a need for these photoautotrophic organisms to regenerate lost parts in the course of their life cycle. This capacity depends on the presence of “pluripotent stem cells,” which are part of the meristems within the plant body. One hundred years ago, the botanist Gottlieb Haberlandt (1854–1945) published experiments showing wounding-induced callus formation, which led ultimately to plant regeneration in tissue culture and thence to the techniques of “plant biotechnology,” with practical applications for mankind. Here, we recount Haberlandt’s discovery within the context of his long research life and his most influential book Physiologische Pflanzenanatomie. In the second part, we describe and analyze a plant tissue-culture regeneration system using sterile, dark-grown sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seedlings as experimental material. We document that excised hook segments, which contain a “stem cell niche,” can regenerate entire miniature H. annuus–plantlets that, raised in a light/dark regime, develop flowers. Finally, we discuss molecular data relevant to plant regeneration with reference to phytohormones and conclude that, one century after Haberlandt, 1921, the exact biochemical/genetic mechanisms responsible for the capability of stem cells to remain “forever young” are, although already complex, really just beginning to become known.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the elucidation of the process of plant organ growth at the cellular level by Julius Sachs (1870). In this Addendum to a Review Article in Molecular Plant, we describe this fundamental discovery and argue that the etiolated grass coleoptile still represents the system of choice for the experimental analysis of auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA)-action. With reference to the phenomenon of 'tissue tension', we discuss the acid-growth hypotheses of IAA-induced wall loosening and the process of vacuolar expansion, respectively. IAA-mediated elongation appears to be independent of wall acidification, and may be regulated via the secretion of glycoproteins into the outer epidermal wall, whereby turgor (and tissue) pressure provides the 'driving force' for growth. As predicted by the "acid growth-hypothesis", the fungal phytotoxin Fusicoccin (Fc) induces organ elongation via the rapid secretion of protons. We conclude that "cell elongation" can only be understood at the level of the entire organ that displays biomechanical features not established by single cells. This systems-level approach can be traced back to the work of Sachs (1870).

In this Addendum to an article in Nature commemorating the 100th anniversary of Ernst Haeckel's death (9 August 1919), we recall the largely forgotten fact that Haeckel (1868) was an early proponent of the concept of an "Anthropozoic Age", a 19th-century anticipation of the "Anthropocene". Haeckel in particular highlighted man's extensive remodeling of the planet in ancient forests. Earlier influences on Haeckel included Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and dozens of similar writers in the 19th century Romantic era, including the Italian geologist and priest Antonio Stoppani (1824-1891), and the American diplomat and environmentalist George P. Marsh (1801-1882). Starting in the 1840s, Marsh described in extraordinary detail the destructive influence of mankind on natural ecosystems, again with particular emphasis on the destruction of forests. Marsh, like Haeckel after him, was a pioneer in describing the far-reaching human re-modeling of the planet that they and their colleagues presciently labeled the "Anthropozoic Age".

Two Helobdella stagnalis-like leech specimens (Annelida Hirudinida Glossiphoniidae) were histologically examined from Nevada in the Great Basin, and from Utah in the Colorado River Basin (USA) to determine whether or not their crops were similar to those in H. californica Kutschera 1988.The Nevada form was brown and with pigmentation patterns, whereas the Utah form was plain and white.The dorsoventral histological sectioning of these 3 specimens showed the Utah and Nevada forms had compact salivary glands, hitherto noted only in the South American Helobdella and Haementaria species.The pharynx of Nevada individuals was S-shaped, and in the Utah form the ejaculatory ducts formed a Gordian knot in the distal-most posterior region, further distinguishing these 2 intermountain Helobdella-isolates. Comparing these two taxa to other published Helobdella internal morphologies, two new species are proposed: Helobdella humboldtensis n. sp.from Nevada (size and pigmentation similar to H. californica) and Helobdella gordiana n. sp.from Utah, which resembles H. stagnalis from Europe.These findings suggest the Intermountain area may be a prime region to study the evolution of members of the Helobdella species complex.

One century ago (1920), Otto Warburg (1883-1970) discovered that in liquid cultures of unicellular green algae (Chlorella sp.) molecular oxygen (O-2) exerts an inhibitory effect on photosynthesis. Decades later, O-2 dependent suppression of photosynthetic carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation (the "green" Warbur geffect) was confirmed on the leaves of seed plants. Here, we summarize the history of this discovery and elucidate the consequences of the photorespiratory pathway in land plants with reference to unpublished CO2 exchange data measured on the leaves of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) plants. In addition, we discuss the inefficiency of the key enzyme Rubisco and analyze data concerning the productivity of C3 vs. C4 crop species (sunflower vs. maize, Zea mays). Warburg's discovery inaugurated a research agenda in the biochemistry of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation that continues to the present. In addition, we briefly discuss Warburg's model of metabolic processes in cancer, net primary production (global photosynthesis) with respect to climate change, trees and other land plants as CO2 removers, and potential climate mitigators in the Anthropocene.