BMC Biology is a selective journal of the BMC series, publishing research and commissioned content across all areas of biology. Our in-house professional ...| BioMed Central
Background From 1918 to 1920, the largest influenza A virus (IAV) pandemic known to date spread globally causing between 20 to 100 million deaths. Historical records have captured critical aspects of the disease dynamics, such as the occurrence and severity of the pandemic waves. Yet, other important pieces of information such as the mutations that allowed the virus to adapt to its new host can only be obtained from IAV genomes. The analysis of specimens collected during the pandemic and stil...| BioMed Central
Background A robust molecular phylogeny is fundamental for developing a stable classification and providing a solid framework to understand patterns of diversification, historical biogeography, and character evolution. As the sixth largest angiosperm family, Lamiaceae, or the mint family, consitutes a major source of aromatic oil, wood, ornamentals, and culinary and medicinal herbs, making it an exceptionally important group ecologically, ethnobotanically, and floristically. The lack of a rel...| BioMed Central
Background The cline of human genetic diversity observable across Europe is recapitulated at a micro-geographic scale by variation within the Italian population. Besides resulting from extensive gene flow, this might be ascribable also to local adaptations to diverse ecological contexts evolved by people who anciently spread along the Italian Peninsula. Dissecting the evolutionary history of the ancestors of present-day Italians may thus improve the understanding of demographic and biological...| BioMed Central