Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
When trees grew in Antarctica
Fossils of trees that grew in Antarctica millions of years ago suggest a growth pattern much different than modern trees.
- Life
Honeybees play follow-the-leaders
Avert your eyes, Margaret, it's a streaker bee! High definition cameras have caught streaker honeybees flying fast above the swarm, leading the crowd to a new home.
- Life
Beetles grow weed killer
Beetle moms carry their own bacteria for making a compound to protect their gardens.
- Life
Bicoastal Atlantic bluefin tuna
Mediterranean and western Atlantic bluefin tuna spend more time in mixed groups than previously thought, suggesting management strategies need to be revisited.
- Life
Old fish, new fish, red fish, blue fish
A difference in vision in cichlids in Lake Victoria could be pushing a species to split into two.
- Paleontology
Forget bird-brained
Scientists have uncovered a new dinosaur that breathed like a bird.
- Life
Curtain drops after ants’ final act
A handful of ants remain outside to close the colony door at sunset and sacrifice their lives in the act.
- Life
X chromosome is extra diverse
Men who father children with multiple women are responsible for “extra” diversity on the X chromosome, a new study of six different populations suggests.
- Life
Safer creation of stem cells
A new technique for converting adult cells to stem cells avoids dangerous mutations in cell DNA
- Life
Nanoparticles: size and charge matter
Nanoparticles can be designed for targeted delivery of drugs or genes into the body. New work reveals details of how blood proteins respond to these particles.
- Life
FDA releases guidelines for genetically modified animals
Draft rules lay out policies for approving altered animals, including those used for food.
- Life
First lipid hormone discovered
An omega-7 fatty acid made by fat and liver cells acts as a hormone, even mimicking the health benefits of insulin.
