Enzyme of bacterial origin promoted the evolution of longhorned beetles
Larvae of longhorned beetles develop primarily in woody tissue, which is difficult for most organisms to digest. However, longhorned beetle larvae possess special enzymes to break down the various components of the plant cell wall. Researchers at the.....»»
The disappearing mountains and hungry volcano: Researching the evolution of the Teton Range
Once upon a time, the Teton Range, a 40-mile-long mountain range in the northern Rocky Mountains, may have extended much longer than it does now......»»
Ancient microbes linked to evolution of human immune proteins
When you become infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it are those passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago. According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, two key e.....»»
What the unique shape of the human heart tells us about our evolution
Mammals, from the mighty blue whale to the tiny shrew, inhabit nearly every corner of our planet. Their remarkable adaptability to different environments has long fascinated scientists, with each species developing unique traits to survive and thrive.....»»
The evolution of the Trappist-1 planetary system
Planets are bodies that orbit a star and have sufficient gravitational mass that they form themselves into roughly spherical shapes that, in turn, exert gravitational force on smaller objects around them, such as asteroids and moons......»»
"Masters of shape-shifting": How darkling beetles conquered the world
Large-scale genomic analysis of darkling beetles, a hyper-diverse insect group of more than 30,000 species worldwide, rolls back the curtain on a 150-million-year evolutionary tale of one of Earth's most ecologically important yet inconspicuous creat.....»»
"Amazon" algae shed light on what happens to populations when females switch to asexual reproduction
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and Kobe University discovered populations of female brown algae that reproduce from unfertilized gametes and thrive without males. In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, they use.....»»
Fossil hotspots in Africa obscure a more complete picture of human evolution, study says
Much of the early human fossil record originates from just a few places in Africa, where favorable geological conditions have preserved a trove of fossils used by scientists to reconstruct the story of human evolution......»»
Understanding of early life ecosystems sheds light on evolution of life on Earth
With a new understanding of past life on the planet through fossils, a Mississippi State biological sciences faculty member is helping researchers better predict Earth's future......»»
Rocket Lab entered “hero mode” to finish Mars probes—now it’s up to Blue Origin
In order to send NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars, Blue Origin must launch in September or October. Enlarge / The two spacecraft for NASA's ESCAPADE mission at Rocket Lab's factory in Long Beach, California. (credit: Rocket Lab).....»»
Mars-bound payload on way to Florida for 1st launch of Blue Origin New Glenn
The Mars-bound twin spacecraft for NASA's ESCAPADE mission were packed up in California to be shipped out to Florida this week ahead of what would be the first ever launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral......»»
Surprise finding in study of environmental bacteria could advance search for better antibiotics
In what they labeled a "surprising" finding, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial.....»»
Scientists solved mysterious origin of Stonehenge’s Altar Stone: Scotland
The stone's chemical fingerprint closely matches old red sandstone from Orkney region. Enlarge / The Altar Stone at Stonehenge weighs roughly 6 tons and was probably transported by land—or possibly by sea. (credit: English Heri.....»»
International team sequence the world"s largest animal genome: Data help explain tetrapod evolution
Join us as we travel back in time. We have arrived in the Devonian period, some 420 to 360 million years ago. In a shallow area near the water's edge, something happened that would forever change life on our planet: a fish from the class of lobe-finn.....»»
Chromatin structure found to play a key role in canine social behavior evolution
A study on dogs found that chromatin's spatial structure has a significant role in the evolution of social behavior. Chromatin, the compact form of DNA, not only packages genetic material but also plays a crucial role in gene regulation......»»
Light-responsive gene regulation at the mRNA level
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have established a new optogenetic approach that can control the bacterial production of proteins at the mRNA level using blue light. The new system gates the activation of the genetic substance particularly.....»»
New parameter enhances insights into the evolution of mantle"s redox states
The oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the mantle controls the speciation and mobility of volatiles within it, influencing the composition of volatiles released during mantle-derived magmatic activity, and thereby regulating the composition of the atmosphere......»»
Early improvement of sandy habitat led to origin of agriculture in the farming-pastoral zone of northern China: Study
The beginning of agriculture is one of the most significant events in human history. The origin and spread of agriculture accelerated the development of human society and economy and fundamentally altered humans' role in the Earth's ecosystem. This a.....»»
Australian gold mining company hit with ransomware
Australian gold mining firm Evolution Mining has announced on Monday that it became aware on 8 August 2024 of a ransomware attack impacting its IT systems, and has been working with its external cyber forensic experts to investigate the incident. .....»»
In Colombia, hungry beetle larvae combat trash buildup
In the far-flung Colombian highlands, beetles are the secret weapon in an innovative project to combat the ever-growing problem of trash buildup......»»
Developing a simple, cost-effective method to identify the targets of a crucial protein-modifying enzyme
Human proteins undergo a variety of chemical modifications following their synthesis. These modifications regulate their structure, function, and stability. Researchers from the Bhogaraju Group at EMBL Grenoble have developed a new method to study a.....»»