Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Darwin: The reluctant mathematician
Despite disliking mathematics, the great biologist inadvertently advanced statistics.
- Life
Duplication in genomes may separate humans from apes
A sudden peak in duplication of chunks of DNA in the common ancestor of humans, chimps and gorillas led to genetic flexibility, which created differences among the species.
- Climate
Winter birds shift north
More than 170 common North American species are wintering farther north than they did in the past.
- Life
Mother right whales know best, maybe
Southern right whales learn where to eat from mom and may not seek new feeding grounds if these favorite restaurants go belly-up.
- Life
Vertebrates, perhaps even humans, share teeth genes
Researchers have uncovered what may be a shared genetic toolkit for teeth, one common among vertebrates and mammals, including humans
- Ecosystems
Flowering plants welcome other life
When angiosperms diversified 100 million years ago, they opened new niches for ants, plants and frogs.
- Life
Molecular link between vitamin D deficiency and MS
Scientists have discovered a molecular link that may help explain why Vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple sclerosis.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer fighting green tea may have a dark side
This herbal remedy can short-circuit one of the few useful therapies for largely incurable blood cancers.
- Genetics
Dog gene heeds call of the wild
Domesticated dogs passed a gene for dark fur color to their wild cousins.
- Life
Caterpillar noise tricks ants into service
Sneaky interlopers mimic the “voice” of an ant queen to get royal treatment from the colony. (Audio included.)
- Earth
Animal ancestors may have survived ‘snowball Earth’
Chemical fossils in Precambrian sedimentary rock push back the first date for animal life.
- Life
Earliest whales gave birth on land
Recently discovered fossils of a protowhale help fill in gaps in the land-to-water transition.
