Life
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Pregnant male pipefish not so great at giving embryos oxygen
During male pregnancy, pipefish embryos can get stunted by low oxygen in dad’s brood pouch.
By Susan Milius - Animals
African herbivores share space but not diet
Large herbivorous mammals on the plains of Kenya have distinctive diets, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Deadly MERS spreads in small cluster in South Korea
Thirty people have MERS virus in the South Korean outbreak, including China’s first case.
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- Anthropology
Chimps prefer roasted potatoes, hinting at origins of cooking
Chimps really dig roasted potatoes, suggesting cooking arose millions of years ago.
By Bruce Bower - Animals
Parakeets can catch yawns from their neighbors
Humans and dogs aren't the only ones that can pass along a yawn. They appear to be contagious among parakeets, too.
- Animals
When swimming with manatees, mind the herd
Manatees hang out in Florida’s Crystal River; tourists can choose a mindful visit or a harmful one
- Genetics
Extinct species may get a second chance
An evolutionary biologist explains the obstacles scientists must overcome to revive extinct species.
- Animals
Wealth of cephalopod research lost in a 19th century shipwreck
Nineteenth-century scientist Jeanne Villepreux-Power sent her research papers and equipment on a ship that sank off the coast of France, submerging years’ worth of observations on cephalopods.
- Paleontology
Dino eggs came in different colors
Dinosaur eggs came in bold shades of blue-green and brown-speckled blue.
By Meghan Rosen - Health & Medicine
Mice grow a thinner skin during long stays in space
Mice that spent three months in space had thinner skin and extra hair growth compared with rodents that were grounded on Earth.
By Meghan Rosen - Neuroscience
Cerebellum may be site of creative spark
Brain scan experiment hints that cerebellum might have a hand in getting creative juices flowing.