Life
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Piggyback rides and other crocodile fun
We don’t know the playful side of crocodiles perhaps only because we haven’t looked.
By Susan Milius - Anthropology
‘The Invaders’ sees dogs as key to modern humans’ success
Neandertals went extinct when Homo sapiens transformed wolves into hunting aids, author proposes.
By Bruce Bower - Animals
Conservationists should make friends with hunters
A survey of outdoor enthusiasts in rural New York finds that both hunters and birdwatchers are likely to engage in conservation behaviors, such as donating money.
- Animals
Why orangutans cup their mouths to sound an alarm
Orangutans might use their hands to lower the pitch of alarm calls, a study suggests.
- Life
Turning the gut microbiome into a chat room
Bacterial communication molecules can help shape microbial communities after antibiotics.
- Animals
Parasites make cannibal shrimp hungry
Parasites make sometimes-cannibalistic shrimp more cannibalistic, a new study suggests.
- Paleontology
Fearsome croc called the Carolina Butcher once ruled the north
Early ancestors of crocodiles, not dinosaurs, may have been northern Pangaea’s top predator 230 million years ago, according to a new fossil find.
- Health & Medicine
Prospective Crohn’s drug yields high rate of remission
An experimental Crohn’s disease drug triggers a high remission rate in patients.
By Nathan Seppa - Genetics
History of the United Kingdom revealed in its genes
A genetics study finds subtle differences that reveal secrets about the history and ancestry of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Humans
History of the United Kingdom revealed in its genes
A genetics study finds subtle differences that reveal secrets about the history and ancestry of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Animals
How velvet worms slime their prey
Researchers have figured out the mechanics behind velvet worms’ wobbly slime jets.
- Ecosystems
Even fast-breeding rabbits can’t withstand Everglades python invasion
Even marsh rabbits in the Everglades can’t breed fast enough to keep their population going when Burmese pythons warm up for summer hunting.
By Susan Milius