Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Salamanders don’t regrow limbs from scratch
A closer look at regeneration in axolotl amputees shows that tissue replacement relies on cellular “memory.”
- Paleontology
Flexible molars made chewing champions out of duck-billed dinosaurs
Tiny scratches in the fossilized teeth of Edmontosaurus suggest what these large herbivores ate and how they ate it.
- Life
H1N1 racks up frequent flier miles
Analyzing global flight paths may help researchers track pandemics, as a new study on H1N1 shows.
- Life
Protein protects sperm in mice
A protein called GPX5 helps protect sperm from oxidative damage. The finding could help prevent birth defects.
- Animals
Bat face shapes sound
An oversized appendage in Bourret’s horseshoe bats may aid in long-distance signals.
- Life
Beetle philandering doesn’t work out for the ladies
A common idea about the benefits of multiple matings for females turns out to be wrong for seed beetles.
- Life
Long-lasting daddy longlegs
Fossils of two new daddy longlegs species have been unearthed in China.
- Health & Medicine
Downside of red-hot chili peppers
In the wild, a culinary kick comes with risks to the plant.
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- Humans
Seeking genetic fate
Personal genomics companies offer forecasts of disease risk, but the science behind the packaging is still evolving.
- Life
Mosquito fish count comrades to stay alive
New experiments indicate that mosquito fish can count small numbers of companions swimming in different groups, an ability that apparently evolved to assist these fish in avoiding predators.
- Health & Medicine
A role for Merkels
Mysterious skin cells known as Merkel cells are required to sense light touches.
