The rates of germline mutations — genetic changes passed from parents to their offspring — have been estimated for 68 vertebrate animal species using a method involving mother–father–offspring trios.

In the children’s game telephone, a whispered phrase like “I ate a pear” can quickly become “I hate bears” as it moves down a line of players. As genes are passed down from parents to offspring, they ...

A new study compares the accumulation of mutations across many animal species and has shed new light on decades-old questions about the role of these genetic changes in ageing and cancer. Researchers ...