Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Ecosystems
Bring in the replacements
Missing links in ecosystems disrupted by extinctions could be restored by introducing species that perform the same function, new field experiments suggest.
- Life
Brittle arms lose muscle
In lab simulations of future ocean conditions, brittle stars grow extra-calcified but puny arms.
- Life
Not so different after all
Plague bacteria may be deadlier than its harmless cousin because of a few small genetic changes.
- Life
The Arctic isn’t alone
Insects and other animals that regulate their body temperature externally may be especially vulnerable as the world warms.
- Life
DNA tweak no good for diabetics
A genetic variation that increases levels of a blood-building protein also ups the risk of developing complications from diabetes.
- Life
Coral keeps it in the family
The nutrients released during mass coral spawning feed the whole ecosystem.
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- Animals
Twee Twee Tweetle
Bird brains have a separate pathway for the babbling nonsense of baby talk.
- Animals
Sexy side of UV-B
The first evidence of ultraviolet-B courtship in animals comes from jumping spiders.
- Life
Bring out your dead cells
A protein called Six-Microns-Under turns certain fruit fly brain cells into undertakers to clear away dead neighbors.
- Life
Leaf clippings as protein factories
Using plants to mass produce proteins for vaccines and other purposes may soon be possible without genetically engineering whole plants.
- Life
Bat that roared
Although the human ear can't detect it, bats make astonishingly loud noises while hunting.
