Human, Bird and Reptile Tears Aren’t So Different – Critical to Healthy Eyesight Across Species
Bird and reptile tears aren’t so unlike our own, shows a new study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. But the differences could provide insights into…
Evolution
Terror Crocodiles With “Teeth the Size of Bananas” Preyed on Even the Very Largest Dinosaurs
A new study, revisiting fossil specimens from the enormous crocodylian, Deinosuchus, has confirmed that the beast had teeth “the size of bananas,” capable to take…
Evolutionary Investigation Across Species Reveals Primate Voice Boxes Are Evolving at Rapid Pace
Study is largest ever investigation into evolution of larynges across species. Scientists have discovered that the larynx, or voice box, of primates is significantly larger…
An Ancient Reptile in Peril: The Curious Genome of the Tuatara, a Vulnerable Species That Is NOT a Lizard
Researchers have sequenced the genome of the tuatara, revealing its unique evolutionary history. Summary International scientists and Ngātiwai, a Māori tribe, teamed up to sequence…
Sexual Parasitism: Loss of Adaptive Immunity Helps Deep Sea Anglerfish Physically Fuse With Their Mates
The discovery of altered adaptive immunity in anglerfish helps explain how the creatures are able to temporarily or permanently fuse with their mates without experiencing…
Shocking Research Finds DNA From an Ancient, Unidentified Ancestor Was Passed Down to Humans Living Today
New algorithm suggests that early humans and related species interbred early and often. A new analysis of ancient genomes suggests that different branches of the…
Solved: Mystery That’s Been Puzzling Scientists Since 1852 – Bizarre Giraffe-Necked Reptile Hunted Underwater
Twenty-foot-long specimens described as separate species from their cousins, named after mythology’s Hydra. A fossil called Tanystropheus was first described in 1852, and it’s been puzzling…
Understanding Human Evolution: Neanderthal DNA Contributes to Genetic Diversity
The advent of DNA sequencing has given scientists a clearer insight into the interconnectedness of evolution and the web-like path that different organisms take, splitting…
Surprising Similarities Between Humans and Flies: Solving the Jigsaw Puzzle of How the Brain Evolved
A new study led by researchers from King’s College London has shown that humans, mice and flies share the same fundamental genetic mechanisms that regulate…
Scientists Say Oriole Hybridization Is a Dead End
Baltimore and Bullock’s Orioles Are Not Merging A half-century of controversy over two popular bird species may have finally come to an end. In one…
Some Tropical Coral Reefs Resilient to Rising Temperatures – May Show “The Key to Survival for Future Reefs”
Rising ocean temperatures have devastated coral reefs all over the world, but a recent study in Global Change Biology has found that reefs in the…
Speech Processing Hierarchy in the Dog Brain – Exciting Similarities With Humans
The study reveals exciting speech processing similarities between us and a speechless species. Dog brains, just as human brains, process speech hierarchically: intonations at lower,…
Sexual Parasitism: Deep-Sea Anglerfish Evolved a New Type of Immune System to Physically Fuse With Their Mates
Deep-sea anglerfishes have evolved a curious reproductive strategy. Tiny males attach themselves to gigantic females so tightly that the tissues of the two animals eventually…
We Are Mutating SARS-CoV-2 – The COVID-19 Virus – But It Is Evolving Back
Scientists at the Milner Centre for Evolution looked at the evolution of the virus that causes Covid19; their findings could help the design of a…
MIT’s New Evidence on Dinosaur Evolution
Geological evidence suggests the known dinosaur groups diverged early on, supporting the traditional dinosaur family tree. The classic dinosaur family tree has two subdivisions of…
Mountain Gorillas That Live in Large Groups Have Less Diverse Social Relationships
Mountain gorillas that live in oversized groups may have to limit the number of strong social relationships they form, new research suggests. Scientists from the…
Scientists Revive 100-Million-Year-Old Microbes Found Deep Below the Bottom of the Ocean
For decades, scientists have gathered ancient sediment samples from below the seafloor to better understand past climates, plate tectonics, and the deep marine ecosystem. In…
Life in the Pits: Scientists Identify the Key Enzyme Behind Body Odor
Scientists have discovered a unique enzyme responsible for the pungent characteristic smell we call body odor or BO. Researchers from the University of York have…