Completing the "timetree" of primates: A new way to map the evolutionary history of life on Earth
In a new article published in Frontiers in Bioinformatics, biologists Dr. Jack M Craig, Dr. Blair Hedges, and Dr. Sudhir Kumar, all at Temple University, have built an evolutionary tree that encompasses 455 primates, every species for which genetic d.....»»
Oldies but goodies: Study shows why elderly animals offer crucial scientific insights
A new study on aging in the animal kingdom has highlighted how urgently Earth's oldest and wisest creatures must be protected, with knowledge and environmental stability lost due to human intervention......»»
Origin of life research finds RNA can favor both left- and right-handed proteins
The mystery of why life uses molecules with specific orientations has deepened with a discovery that RNA—a key molecule thought to have potentially held the instructions for life before DNA emerged—can favor making the building blocks of proteins.....»»
Staggering temperature rise predicted for the Middle East and North Africa
The Middle East and North Africa, which already include some of the hottest and driest spots on Earth, are undergoing accelerated climate change and will reach warming thresholds two to three decades earlier than the rest of the world, a new study re.....»»
Scientists uncover cross-species neural mechanism for early detection of life motion in visual processing
Visual systems of both humans and animals can detect life motion from the environment at the earliest stage of visual processing, research by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) uncovered......»»
Engraved trees map the way to preserving Sámi culture
Archaeologists analyzed trees engraved by the Indigenous Sámi of Arctic Europe, revealing the significance of these rare remnants of Sámi culture and the importance of preserving them from ongoing deforestation......»»
Alien: Earth teaser reveals 2025 release date and a terrifying Xenomorph
The brand-new teaser for Alien: Earth unveils its 2025 release date and previews the horrifying Xenomorph on its way......»»
Heart cockles have windows in their shells to let in light for symbiotic algae
A team of marine biologists, ecologists and evolutionary specialists from the University of Chicago, Stanford University and Duke University has found that heart cockles have windows in their shells to allow in light needed by the algae that live ins.....»»
Decontaminating toxic tires: Researchers show ability to remove toxic particles from end-of-life tires
Tires are an indispensable part of daily life. Without them, our vehicles would just be a bunch of assembled parts—convenient to sit in, but not effective for getting where you are going......»»
Oldest known alphabet unearthed in ancient Syrian city
What appears to be evidence of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history is etched onto finger-length, clay cylinders excavated from a tomb in Syria by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers......»»
Apple’s best selling iPhone models aren’t what you’d expect, but there’s a good reason
Early in the iPhone’s life, Apple made only one model for everyone. Today, the company releases four flagships every year and also offers the iPhone SE and older models. It’s a lot to keep up with, but a new report gives us a good picture of whic.....»»
New tool to map protease specificity may pave the way for improved treatments
FMI researchers have developed a new tool that maps how proteases—enzymes that process proteins—cut their targets. This innovation offers new insight into the highly selective nature of proteases, which were previously seen as indiscriminate degr.....»»
Many physicists argue the universe is fine-tuned for life. Our findings question this idea
Physicists have long grappled with the question of why the universe was able to support the evolution of intelligent life. The values of the many forces and particles, represented by some 30 so-called fundamental constants, all seem to line up perfec.....»»
Life in the world"s deepest seas: The challenge of finding 1,000 new marine species by 2030
Oceans cover 71% of the Earth's surface, but despite their immense size and impact on the planet, we know very little about them. While many of us might associate the sea with relaxing holidays on tropical beaches, the ocean is nothing but cold, dark.....»»
Neither desolate nor empty: Deep-sea floor teems with life
The Arctic deep sea harbors significant oil and natural gas reserves along with valuable resources such as rare earths and metals. Climate change and melting ice are facilitating access to these resources, which presents economic opportunities but al.....»»
Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops
More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environm.....»»
Invasive zebra mussels are associated with elevated mercury levels in fish, study finds
A study found that invasive zebra mussels significantly alter aquatic ecosystems, and are associated with elevated mercury concentrations in fish. Mercury, a potent neurotoxin, poses a serious threat to both aquatic life and human health......»»
Predicting the next supernova explosion: New simulations reveal the physics of supernova shock breakout
Stars with masses between 10 and 30 times that of the sun, in their final evolutionary stages, form an iron core that ultimately collapses into a neutron star. This collapse releases a tremendous amount of gravitational potential energy through neutr.....»»
Study traces the spicy history of chili peppers
The history of the chili pepper is in some ways the history of humanity in the Americas, says Dr. Katherine Chiou, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at The University of Alabama......»»
Nanofibers made of copper-binding peptides disrupt cancer cells
While toxic in high concentrations, copper is essential to life as a trace element. Many tumors require significantly more copper than healthy cells for growth—a possible new point of attack for cancer treatment......»»
Scientists discover the molecular composition of potentially deadly venomous fish
New research in FEBS Open Bio reveals insights into the venom of two of the most venomous fish species on Earth: the estuarine stonefish (Synanceia horrida) and the reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa), which are typically found in the warm and shall.....»»