A. Lan

Molecular evolution in small steps under prevailing negative selection - A nearly-universal rule of codon substitution

The paper examines codon substitution rates across species and finds that evolutionary rates are strongly negatively correlated with amino acid distance under predominant negative selection.

Molecular evolution in large steps - Codon substitutions under positive selection

The paper shows that positive selection drives amino acid substitutions with large chemical property changes, while negative selection favors smaller changes, suggesting distinct evolutionary mechanisms.

Mechanisms of gene death in the Red Queen race revealed by the analysis of de novo microRNAs

The paper investigates how de novo microRNAs in Drosophila affect male fitness and reveals that adaptive de novo genes may die due to canceling fitness effects, suggesting quasi-neutrality and ongoing period-specific adaptations.