Key Found to Origin of Life on Earth? Deliquescent Salts and Hot, Humid Summers
Uncovering how the first biological molecules (like proteins and DNA) arose is a major goal for researchers attempting to solve the origins of life. SLU…
Evolution
“Artisanal Cheese” Possible – Taming the Wild Cheese Fungus
The flavors of fermented foods are heavily shaped by the fungi that grow on them, but the evolutionary origins of those fungi aren’t well understood….
Novel Virus Type Uncovered – Researchers Believe It Holds Secrets of Viral Evolution
Viruses are non-living creatures, consisting of genetic material encased in a protein coat. Once the virus infects a living organism, it can replicate itself and…
Old Theory on How Piranhas Keep Their Teeth Sharp Finally Proven With New Technology
Piranha fish swap old teeth for new simultaneously. Piranha fish have a powerful bite. Their teeth help them shred through the flesh of their prey…
New Study of Species That Mate for Life Shows How Investing in Love and Affection Pays Off
New research from the University of Chicago and University of North Carolina shows how species of birds form long-term bonds to raise their young more…
New Species of Giant Predatory Dinosaur Discovered in Thailand Provides a New Glimpse at Dinosaur Evolution
Siamraptor provides a new glimpse at the early evolution of carcharodontosaurian dinosaurs. Fossils discovered in Thailand represent a new genus and species of predatory dinosaur,…
How Did Cells Originally Form Billions of Years Ago? Scientists Identify Molecule That May Be Key to Emergence of Life on Earth.
Compounds called cyclophospholipids would have held up against the planet’s harsh conditions, helping the first cells form and proliferate. To truly understand how the body…
Rapid Evolution of Deadly Pathogen: Cholera Bacterium Can Steal Up to 150 Genes in One Go
EPFL scientists have discovered that predatory bacteria like the cholera pathogen can steal up to 150 genes in one go from their neighbors. The study…
Darwin Contradicted: Survival of the Friendliest Bacteria
New microbial research at the University of Copenhagen suggests that ‘survival of the friendliest’ outweighs ‘survival of the fittest’ for groups of bacteria Bacteria make…
Researchers Studied a Colony of Big Brown Bats to Learn How Bats Relocate in Response to Tree Loss
Identifying how groups of animals select where to live is important for understanding social dynamics and for management and conservation. In a recent Journal of…
The Unexpected Role Ant-Plant Partnerships May Play in Ant Evolution
Partnerships between ant and plant species appear to arise from—but not drive—rapid diversification of ants into new species. Katrina Kaur of the University of Toronto,…
“Forbidden Phenotype” – Why Are There No Animals With Three Legs?
If “Why?” is the first question in science, “Why not?” must be a close second. Sometimes it’s worth thinking about why something does not exist….
Ancient Crocodiles Were a Much More Diverse Species – Fascinating Research Describes What They Ate
While most people imagine alligators and crocodiles as being much the same now as they were during the age of dinosaurs, digging into the fossil…
Human Embryos’ Muscles Still Have 250-Million-Year-Old Evolutionary Remnants
A team of evolutionary biologists, led by Dr. Rui Diogo at Howard University, USA, and writing in the journal Development, have demonstrated that numerous atavistic…
Otherworldly Discovery: Worms With Three Sexes in Mono Lake
Caltech scientists have discovered a new species of worm thriving in the extreme environment of Mono Lake. This new species, temporarily dubbed Auanema sp., has…
Charles Darwin Was Right: Catching Evolution in the Act
Natural selection alters genes that control roundworms’ sense of smell. Artificial and natural selection affect the same genes in roundworms In both cases, genes are…
Life’s Building Blocks May Not Have Originated on This Planet
An experiment shows that one of the basic units of life — nucleobases — could have originated within giant gas clouds interspersed between the stars….
New Clues to the Origin of Life on Earth From Microbial Remains in Ancient Rocks
Western Australia’s famous 3.5-billion-year-old stromatolites contain microbial remains of some of the earliest life on Earth, UNSW scientists have found. Scientists have found exceptionally preserved…