Some interesting stuff:

First up, The Blind Locksmith discusses the reconstruction, and use, of ancestral proteins to figure out how evolution produces complex systems:

Scientists reconstruct an ancestral protein by tracing its evolution into new versions carried by living species. Along each lineage, the gene for that protein picks up mutations, some of which alter the structure of the protein. Scientists can determine many of those mutations, and by working backwards up the evolutionary tree, they can determine what the original gene looked like. Thanks to powerful statistical techniques, they can determine how much confidence they can have in each letter in the genetic sequence they reconstruct. If they find a lot of statistical confidence in the overall sequence, they can then go to the lab and use it as a guide to build the corresponding protein. And once they have the protein in hand (or in beaker), they can see how it works.

Second, we have a news item from Nature on the discovery of a fossil in Canada which illustrates how fish came out of the water and evolved into mammals:

The beast has bony scales and fins, but the front fins are on their way to becoming limbs; they have the internal skeletal structure of an arm, including elbows and wrists, but with fins instead of clear fingers. The team is still looking for more complete specimens to get a better picture of hind part of the animal.

Finally, this one isn’t evolution-related, but rather an account of one guy’s trip to Los Alamos and the site of the first atomic bomb test. The Trinity site is only open to the public twice a year, so this guy went along, took some video and loads of photos, and wrote it up. It’s an interesting read:

Every August, Ed stands downtown with an American flag and a banner that reads WE ARE SORRY FOR HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI. It’s not a widely-shared sentiment in this city of bombmakers; sometimes Lab workers show up with signs that read NO WE’RE NOT, ED, and sometimes passers-by yell and swear at Ed. This may, in fact, be the only place that I’ve ever heard anyone express the opinion that nuclear bombs are a good thing.