Research challenges long-held ecological belief of how rare species survive

A biological process long thought to protect biodiversity and help species coexist may actually threaten diversity when species are separated by natural landscapes, infrastructure, or other barriers, according to new research from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. The finding, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help scientists better protect biodiversity—and may even offer new insights into how diseases like cancer evolve.