Life
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
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LifeMother 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.
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LifeVertebrates, 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
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EcosystemsFlowering plants welcome other life
When angiosperms diversified 100 million years ago, they opened new niches for ants, plants and frogs.
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LifeMolecular 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.
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Health & MedicineCancer 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.
By Janet Raloff -
GeneticsDog gene heeds call of the wild
Domesticated dogs passed a gene for dark fur color to their wild cousins.
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LifeCaterpillar noise tricks ants into service
Sneaky interlopers mimic the “voice” of an ant queen to get royal treatment from the colony. (Audio included.)
By Susan Milius -
EarthAnimal ancestors may have survived ‘snowball Earth’
Chemical fossils in Precambrian sedimentary rock push back the first date for animal life.
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LifeEarliest whales gave birth on land
Recently discovered fossils of a protowhale help fill in gaps in the land-to-water transition.
By Sid Perkins -
ChemistryNonstick chemicals linked to infertility
Featured blog: Infertility doubled in women who had high concentrations of commercially produced nonstick chemicals polluting their blood.
By Janet Raloff -
LifeNemo could get lost again as seawater approaches acidity
Reef fish raised at a seawater pH expected for the year 2100 don't smell their way around normally.
By Susan Milius -