Lines on Crocodiles’ Crania Are Cracks in Skin, Not Scales
The “scales” on a crocodile’s cranium aren’t really scales, but simple physical cracks rather than developmentally programmed scales that cover the rest of a crocodile’s…
Biology News
Epidemiologists Trying to Track Down Novel Coronavirus
The new coronavirus, linked to different cases in the Qatar and Saudi Arabia, was named HCoV-EMC, short for human coronavirus and the Erasmus Medical Center…
Telomerase Gene Therapy Extends Mouse Lifespan by 24%
Inducing cells to express telomerase, the enzyme which is supposed to slow down the metabolic clock, has enabled researchers boost the lifespan of mouse by…
Smoking Rots the Brain & Lowers Cognitive Performance
A new study from researchers at King’s College in London indicates that smoking rots the brain by damaging memory, learning, and reasoning. The scientists published…
Prolific Changes in the Human Genome in the Past 5,000 Years
Human populations have grown exponentially in the past 5,000 years, and new genetic mutations arise in each new generation. Humans have a vast abundance of…
Blue Whales Use 360 Degree Body Rolls to Get at Krill
Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) reveal their agile side thanks to video cameras and motion sensors strapped to their bodies. The scientists equipped 22 B. musculus…
Antarctic Lake Vida Has a Bounty of Microbial Life
Lake Vida in Antarctica is covered by an ice cap up to 27 meters thick, is six times saltier than sea water, and with an…
Hunters Kill Yellowstone Park Research Wolves
Researchers estimate that 10 wolves from Yellowstone National Park have been killed by hunters this month, severely affecting the park’s wolf research programs, one of…
High Levels of Anthocyanins Give Black Dahlias Their Color
There are more than 20,000 varieties of dahlias, including white, yellow, deep reds, and magenta-colored flowers. The rarer black dahlias are especially alluring to horticulturists….
Synthesizing a Flu Vaccine Without the Virus
A new vaccine strategy, which uses synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) instead of proteins purified from viruses, could make flu shots cheaper, safer, and easier to…
Brain’s Reading Centers Are Culturally Universal No Matter What Language
The brain scans of French and Mandarin native speakers have shown that people use the same areas in the brain for reading, no matter what…
Diagnostic Tests Undercut Surveillance Abilities of Health Officials
Some new diagnostic tests for foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli hinder the ability of public health officials to detect outbreaks. The problem…
Some People Suffer Excessive Sleepiness Due to Naturally Occurring Sedative
Certain people with sleep disorders continually have to battle a powerful urge to sleep through the day, even after sleeping more than 10 hours a…
Cases of New Coronavirus Announced By WHO
The World Health Organization announced four new cases of the novel coronavirus that caused a great deal of worry just before the October hajj season….
Bats Tune Frequency of Echolocation to Change Field Perception
Bats can broaden and narrow their visual field by modulating the frequency of their vocalizations they use to navigate and find prey. The scientists published…
Katydid Ears Have Structures Similar to Mammalian Ones
Katydid ears have evolved components resembling those of human ears, on a smaller scale. This is an example of convergent evolution. The scientists published their…
At Least a Third of All Marine Species are Still Unknown
The most comprehensive assessment of ocean life has revealed that one third to two thirds of all species are still unknown to science. The scientists…
Scientists Reverse Autism Symptoms in Mice
A newly published paper describes two ways of reversing autism-like symptoms in a new mouse model of the condition. The scientists published their findings in…