Life Sciences

Skull study shows Chicago's rodents are rapidly evolving
  1. Life Sciences

Skull study shows Chicago’s rodents are rapidly evolving

In general, evolution is a long, slow process of tiny changes passed down over generations, resulting in new adaptations and even new species over thousands or millions of years. But when living things are faced with dramatic shifts in the world around them, they sometimes rapidly adapt to better survive. Scientists recently found an example […]
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These 545-million-year-old fossil trails just rewrote the story of evolution
  1. Life Sciences

These 545-million-year-old fossil trails just rewrote the story of evolution

The Cambrian explosion was an extraordinary phenomenon in the evolution of life on the planet that led to the emergence of many animal phyla and the diversification of species. During this period, some 530 million years ago, most of the basic body plans of organisms that have survived to the present day emerged. However, this […]
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Can these endangered lizards beat the heat? Scientists test bold relocation plan
  1. Life Sciences

Can these endangered lizards beat the heat? Scientists test bold relocation plan

Climate change and habitat loss are affecting animal populations around the world and reptiles such as South Australia’s own endangered pygmy bluetongue are susceptible to higher temperatures and declining long-term rainfall trends. Flinders University scientists are working on securing a sustainable future for the burrow-dwelling endemic skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis) by assessing their suitability to cooler […]
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New viruses discovered in bats in China could be the next pandemic threat
  1. Life Sciences

New viruses discovered in bats in China could be the next pandemic threat

Researchers have discovered two new viruses in bats that are closely related to the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses — pathogens that can cause severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease in humans. The viruses, as well as other new viruses, bacteria, and parasites identified from bat kidneys, were reported this week in the open-access journal […]
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From cursed tomb fungus to cancer cure: Aspergillus flavus yields potent new drug
  1. Life Sciences

From cursed tomb fungus to cancer cure: Aspergillus flavus yields potent new drug

Penn-led researchers have turned a deadly fungus into a potent cancer-fighting compound. After isolating a new class of molecules from Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus linked to deaths in the excavations of ancient tombs, the researchers modified the chemicals and tested them against leukemia cells. The result? A promising cancer-killing compound that rivals FDA-approved […]
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Frozen in time: Transparent worms keep genes in sync for 20 million years
  1. Life Sciences

Frozen in time: Transparent worms keep genes in sync for 20 million years

Two species of worms have retained remarkably similar patterns in the way they switch their genes on and off despite having split from a common ancestor 20 million years ago, a new study finds. The findings appear in the June 19 issue of the journal Science. “It was just remarkable, with this evolutionary distance, that […]
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Monster salamander with powerful jaws unearthed in Tennessee fossil find
  1. Life Sciences

Monster salamander with powerful jaws unearthed in Tennessee fossil find

A giant, strong-jawed salamander once tunneled through ancient Tennessee soil. And thanks to a fossil unearthed near East Tennessee State University, scientists now better understand how it helped shape Appalachian amphibian diversity. The giant plethodontid salamander now joins the remarkable roster of fossils from the Gray Fossil Site & Museum. The findings appeared in the […]
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Defying Darwin: Scientists discover worms rewrote their DNA to survive on land
  1. Life Sciences

Defying Darwin: Scientists discover worms rewrote their DNA to survive on land

In 1859, Darwin imagined evolution as a slow, gradual progress, with species accumulating small changes over time. But even he was surprised to find the fossil record offered no missing links: the intermediate forms which should have told this story step by step were simply not there. His explanation was as uncomfortable as it was […]
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Cluck once, and the river shakes: Inside the Amazon’s giant snake saga
  1. Life Sciences

Cluck once, and the river shakes: Inside the Amazon’s giant snake saga

As a child, I was fascinated by reports and documentaries about field research and often wondered what it took to be there and what kind of knowledge was being produced. Later, as an ecologist, I felt the need for approaches that better connected scientific research with real-world contexts. I became especially interested in perspectives that […]
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Good Reads

Disordered Interfacial Water Boosts Electrochemical C–C Coupling

In the relentless pursuit to combat climate change, the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) into value-added, energy-rich multi-carbon products has emerged as a beacon of hope. These processes promise not only to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also to create sustainable fuel alternatives that could revolutionize the energy landscape. However, […]
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Leveraging Next-Generation Tsunami Early Warning Systems to Save Lives – State of the Planet

Damage from the March 2011 tsunami in downtown Ofunato, Japan. Photo: U.S. Navy When an enormous 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the impact reached far beyond its epicenter. In the passing hours, tsunami alerts were issued by several nations with coastlines along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, prompting evacuations and escalating […]
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Worlwide

Disordered Interfacial Water Boosts Electrochemical C–C Coupling

In the relentless pursuit to combat climate change, the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) into value-added, energy-rich multi-carbon products has emerged as a beacon of hope. These processes promise not only to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also to create sustainable fuel alternatives that could revolutionize the energy landscape. However, […]
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Leveraging Next-Generation Tsunami Early Warning Systems to Save Lives – State of the Planet

Damage from the March 2011 tsunami in downtown Ofunato, Japan. Photo: U.S. Navy When an enormous 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the impact reached far beyond its epicenter. In the passing hours, tsunami alerts were issued by several nations with coastlines along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, prompting evacuations and escalating […]
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Crushing vs. Slashing: New skull scans reveal how giant dinosaurs killed

Crushing vs. Slashing: New skull scans reveal how giant dinosaurs killed

A new analysis of the bite strength of 18 species of carnivorous dinosaurs shows that while the Tyrannasaurus rex skull was optimized for quick, strong bites like a crocodile, other giant, predatory dinosaurs that walked on two legs — including spinosaurs and allosaurs — had much weaker bites and instead specialized in slashing and ripping […]
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