Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Animals

    Australia’s unexpectedly dangerous creatures

    Australia is home to an array of deadly things — from crocodiles to venomous snakes — but dangers can also be found among seemingly safe critters.

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  2. Ecosystems

    Bee losses followed World Wars

    British historical records show a century-long decline of important pollinators: bees and some wasps.

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  3. Life

    New tree of life confirms strange history of birds

    A genetic analysis supports some odd groupings in the bird tree of life, showing a lot of convergent evolution in avian history.

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  4. Earth

    Mega volcanism indicted in dinosaur demise

    Precision dating strengthens idea that climate-altering Deccan volcanism contributed to dinosaur extinction.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Gene variant linked to robust flu vaccine response

    Targeting an immune signaling protein called interleukin-28B might boost protection generated by flu shots.

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  6. Genetics

    Early heart attack tied to rare mutations in two genes

    Rare mutations in two genes greatly increase the risk of having a heart attack early in life, a study shows.

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  7. Life

    Imprisoning parasites can deter malaria’s spread

    Disabling a protein traps malaria-causing parasites within red blood cells and prevents the organisms from reproducing.

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  8. Genetics

    New type of stem cells, fuzzy and flexible

    A new way to make stem cells produces fuzzy cells that appear as flexible as other types of stem cells, but are easier to grow in the lab and avoid ethical issues.

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  9. Animals

    Male monkeys’ social bonds may ease everyday stress

    When male primates live in groups with other males, they tend to fight over females. But male-male bonding can reduce stress, a study finds.

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  10. Animals

    Finch sperm go long to fertilize more eggs

    For finches, longer sperm mean a faster route to storage and a higher likelihood of being a dad at the end of the day.

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  11. Neuroscience

    Molecule impairs brain cells that fail in Alzheimer’s

    In mice, blocking a molecule on immune cells allowed them to mop up the type of protein buildup seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

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  12. Animals

    ‘Tis the season for white-nose syndrome in bats

    While bats are active, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome stays put in the caves the bats call home in winter. New findings show how the fungus varies through the seasons.

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