Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
How herpes re-rears its ugly head
Researchers identify a key player in the reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1.
- Life
Wild herring prove fast organizers
Recent technology helps researchers find out how a bunch of fish turn into a shoal.
- Ecosystems
Exxon Valdez killed future for some killer whales
An Alaskan oil spill disrupted family structure in killer-whale groups, with lasting and dramatic repercussions.
- Humans
Otters and oil: Problems remain
The behavior of Alaska's southern sea otters may unwittingly expose them to toxic oil-spill residues.
- Animals
It’s not just his croak
Male tree frogs with redder vocal sacs prove more popular with females, even at night.
- Animals
Dogs show a fetching communication savvy
In a sign of understanding that one object can be used to represent another, border collies fetch toys after being shown replicas or, in some cases, photos of those toys.
- Ecosystems
U.S. bird populations in decline, report says
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar releases a review of U.S. bird populations.
- Plants
Plants reveal pollen-luring secrets
Scientists finally pin down the proteins one plant uses to lure pollen tubes to its plant ovaries.
- Paleontology
Dino feathers may have had earlier origin than thought
Researchers report that newly described dinosaur fossils suggest an ancient origin of feathers.
- Ecosystems
Too much intermingling puts native trout in trouble
Even a small amount of hybridizing may cause problems for the native westslope cutthroat trout.
- Earth
North America’s smallest dino predator
A new fossil analysis uncovers what may have been North America’s tiniest dino predator.
- Health & Medicine
MicroRNAs provide telltale signature of organ rejection
Levels of microRNAs in the blood and tissue distinguish rejected transplants from healthy tissue.
