FOLD IT A gene that only humans have can make the normally smooth outer layer of mouse brains develop folds similar to those in human brains (upper right center). The gene may have been important for the evolution of big human brains.
M. Florio and W. Huttner/Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
HOT STUFF Capsaicin, the stuff that gives chili peppers their heat, relieves pain by a previously unknown process.
Gubcio/istockphoto
FOUL FEAST Plants with potato beetle genes make a kind of RNA that attacks the bugs when they start munching.
MPI for Chemical Ecology, MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology
AFTERMATH Intimate mating concerns among Anopheles mosquitoes may have inadvertently pushed the evolution of greater ability to spread human malaria.
Sam Cotton
SUGAR RECALL Buff-tailed bumblebees (one shown) may merge memories of flowers that they’ve visited in the past, which may influence the blooms they explore in the future, a new study suggests.
q_ilex/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
