Amy Maxmen

All Stories by Amy Maxmen

  1. Life

    Animal origins shift to comb jellies

    Genetic data confirm the marine predators have more ancient origin than simpler sponges.

  2. Animals

    Evolutionary enigmas

    Comb jelly genetics suggest a radical redrawing of the tree of life.

  3. Life

    How the snake got its fangs

    A study of snake embryos suggests that fangs evolved once, then moved around in the head to give today’s snakes a variety of bites.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Location matters

    Scientists find the role of dopamine varies from one end of a brain region to another.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Sick and down

    When one of psychiatrist Andrew Miller’s patients asked about receiving the best drug available for treating hepatitis C, Miller said: “No way.” The patient — in his early 20s and accompanied by his mom to the appointment — had no job, few friends and a history of depression. While Miller knows that hepatitis C patients often benefit from the […]

  6. Animals

    Live fast, die young

    With a lifespan of just five months, the chameleon Furcifer labordi leads a briefer life than any other land-dwelling vertebrate.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Curative leaf

    Mary Jane’s got more goodness in her buds than Cheech or Chong ever imagined. A compound found to ease swelling, pain and inflammation has now been extracted from marijuana. The compound, structurally different from anti-inflammatory medications now on the market, provides new avenues for drug development to help those who suffer from diseases like rheumatoid […]

  8. Life

    When cells go quiet

    Connections between nerve cells may be lost when communication between the cells lapses.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Where funny faces come from

    Making a face might have helped human ancestors survive.

  10. Archaeology

    Resurrection of a biblical tree

    Date palm pit found at Masada sprouts at age 2,000, becoming the oldest known seed to germinate.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Seeing disease’s acidic side

    Small tumors can be detected using a new technique that safely, reliably and noninvasively measures tissue chemistry.

  12. Life

    Simple body, complex blueprints

    Genes key to the development of modern animals' body plans show up in primitive-looking comb jellies.