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Humans

Fossils suggest another hominid species lived near Lucy

Fossil jaws dating to over 3 million years ago may add a new species to the ancient hominid mix.

Climate

Everest could lose most of its ice by the end of the century

Glaciers around Mt. Everest will lost most of their ice by the end of the century, new research predicts.

Genetics

Genes and environment balance each other

Genes and environment have equal influence on human traits.

Astronomy

Brightest galaxy discovered

The brightest known galaxy is about 350 trillion times as bright as the sun, and a supermassive black hole is to blame.

Health & Medicine

Ebola gatekeeper protein identified

Ebola’s ability to infect appears to depend on a key transport protein that guides the virus into cells.

Climate

Next icy era may be on hold

Carbon emissions from humans may have postponed Earth’s next glaciation, new research suggests.

Neuroscience

No-pain gene discovered

Scientists have identified a new genetic culprit for the inability to perceive pain.

Science & Society

Here’s what game theory says about how to win in semifinals

Game theory informs competitors facing off in a semifinal whether to go all out or save energy for the final.

Genetics

A billion years of evolution doesn’t change some genes

Human genes can substitute for 47 percent of essential genes in baker’s yeast, new research shows.

Environment

Rising dolphin deaths linked to Deepwater Horizon spill

Lung lesions and other injuries link an extensive die-off of dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Climate

Tranquil ecosystems may explain wild swings in carbon dioxide stashing

Semiarid ecosystems, such as grasslands and shrublands, are behind the large variation in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide sucked in by land each year.

Genetics

Mutations that drive cancer lurk in healthy skin

Healthy tissue carries mutations that drive cancer, samples of normal skin cells show.