Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Animals

    Warm autumns could be a driver in monarch butterflies’ decline

    In the lab, higher temperatures during fall migration led monarchs to break their reproductive pause, increasing their risk of death.

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  2. Paleontology

    Dinosaur teeth reveal some were picky eaters

    The enamel in fossilized teeth reveals some dinosaurs preferred to eat particular parts of plants.

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  3. Life

    Squashing the spotted lanternfly problem may require enlisting other species

    The invasive spotted lanternfly has spread to 17 states and can threaten vineyards. But bats, fungi, dogs and even trees may help control them.

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  4. Plants

    A newly discovered gene helped this moss defy gravity

    A gene called IBSH1 helped spreading earthmoss thrive at high gravity, hinting at how plants adapted to photosynthesize on land.

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  5. Genetics

    This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration

    Golden apple snails can regrow full, functional eyes. Studying their genes may reveal how to repair human eye injuries.

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  6. Plants

    These plants build ant condos that keep warring species apart 

    The unique architecture of some ball-like plants high in trees in Fiji lets violent ants live peacefully and feed the plant with valuable droppings.

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  7. Animals

    The mystery of melting sea stars may finally be solved 

    A bacterium called Vibrio pectenicida may be melting sea stars along North America’s Pacific coast.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Some probiotics could feed, rather than fend off, infections

    Probiotics containing Lactobacillus gasseri Lg-36 prevented C. difficile infections in mice, but L. acidophilus probiotics made infection more likely.

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  9. Paleontology

    A new species of ‘penis worm’ was discovered in the Grand Canyon

    A trove of fossils, including a penis worm with a spiked, invertible throat, suggests this spot may have been a cradle of Cambrian evolution.

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  10. Plants

    Potatoes have their roots in ancient tomatoes

    Knowing potatoes’ origin story could help future-proof the crucial crop against climate threats.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    A molecule produced by gut microbes may help spur heart disease

    A leftover from microbes’ meals is linked to early heart disease in people. In mice, it contributed to plaque buildup in the arteries.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    You may already have some protection from bird flu, but don’t count on it

    Studies suggest that people who had seasonal flus or vaccinations have low antibody levels against H5N1 bird flu.

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