New muscle layer discovered on the jaw
Human anatomy still has a few surprises in store for us: researchers have discovered a previously overlooked section of our jaw muscles and described this layer in detail for the first time......»»
Big boost for new epigenetics paradigm: CoRSIVs, first discovered in humans, now found in cattle
A study published in Genome Biology opens new possibilities to improve production efficiency in the cattle industry and potentially animal agriculture more broadly. A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Cornell University and the USDA.....»»
Animals use physics? Let us count the ways
Cats twist and snakes slide, exploiting and negotiating physical laws. Enlarge (credit: Fernando Trabanco Fotografía via Getty Images) Isaac Newton would never have discovered the laws of motion had he studied only cats.....»»
Saturday Citations: The first Goldilocks black hole; Toxoplasma gondii metabolism; pumping at the speed of muscle
This week: Physicists conducted a biological study, engineers built a waste-recycling suit for astronauts (and worm riders), and astronomers identified the first known intermediate-mass black hole, and it's right here in our own galactic back yard......»»
Complex impact of large wildfires on ozone layer dynamics unveiled
In a revelation that highlights the fragile balance of our planet's atmosphere, scientists from China, Germany, and the U.S. have uncovered an unexpected link between massive wildfire events and the chemistry of the ozone layer. Published in Science.....»»
Investigating variation in the permafrost active layer over the Tibetan Plateau from 1980 to 2020
The Tibetan Plateau hosts the world's largest permafrost region in the middle and low latitudes. Compared to the high-latitude Arctic permafrost, the permafrost here is thinner, warmer, and more sensitive to global warming. The active layer is a cruc.....»»
500 million-year-old fossil is the earliest branch of the spider’s lineage
A local fossil collector in Morocco found the specimen decades ago. Enlarge (credit: UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE) In the early 2000s, local fossil collector Mohamed ‘Ou Said’ Ben Moula discovered numerous fossils at Fezou.....»»
Earliest known ancestors of scorpions were tiny sea beasts
A local fossil collector in Morocco found the specimen decades ago. Enlarge (credit: UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE) In the early 2000s, local fossil collector Mohamed ‘Ou Said’ Ben Moula discovered numerous fossils at Fezou.....»»
Giant salamander species found in what was thought to be an icy ecosystem
Found after its kind were thought extinct, and where it was thought to be too cold. Enlarge (credit: C. Marsicano) Gaiasia jennyae, a newly discovered freshwater apex predator with a body length reaching 4.5 meters, lurk.....»»
Novel protein found to inhibit activity of CRISPR-Cas system
In a study published in Nature on July 3, researchers from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Toronto, Canada, discovered a novel anti-CRISPR protein called AcrIF25, which inhibits the activity of the.....»»
Muscle machine: How water controls the speed of muscle contraction
The flow of water within a muscle fiber may dictate how quickly muscle can contract, according to a University of Michigan study......»»
"A history of contact": Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of Neanderthals and other ancient humans
Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much are they like us? Did our ancestors get along with them? Fight them? Love them? The recent dis.....»»
High-speed electron camera uncovers new "light-twisting" behavior in ultrathin material
While taking snapshots with the high-speed electron camera at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Acceleratory Laboratory, researchers discovered new behavior in an ultrathin material that offers a promising approach to manipulating light that w.....»»
Przewalski’s Horses Are Back—On TikTok and the Central Asian Steppes
Claims that Przewalski’s horses were discovered in the U.S. are unverified. But the conservation story behind the last truly wild horse is worth your time......»»
Unexpected phage protein function discovered in bacteria battle
An unexpected find has enabled important progress to be made in the battle against harmful bacteria. An international team of researchers, led by Professor Peter Fineran from the University of Otago, investigated a particular protein used by bacteria.....»»
Rice gone wild: How humans have inadvertently selected for "weedy" rice
University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have discovered that the anatomical adaptation helping weedy rice varieties to proliferate is not, as previously believed, confined only to these pest varieties. The research, published recently in the.....»»
New Blast-RADIUS attack breaks 30-year-old protocol used in networks everywhere
Ubiquitous RADIUS scheme uses homegrown authentication based on MD5. Yup, you heard right. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) One of the most widely used network protocols is vulnerable to a newly discovered attack that can.....»»
Life underground suited newly discovered dinosaur, study finds
The age of dinosaurs wasn't conducted solely above ground. A newly discovered ancestor of Thescelosaurus shows evidence that these animals spent at least part of their time in underground burrows. The new species contributes to a fuller understanding.....»»
Diversity in typhoid bacteria linked to higher mortality rates
Worldwide, 20% of the bacterial strains that cause typhoid fever have genetic variations in their external layer, called Vi capsule, that provide higher virulence, higher infectivity and high antibiotic resistance, Cornell researchers have discovered.....»»
Intracellular mechanisms shown to promote spread of deadly bacterial infection
Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered novel protein mechanisms that promote the rapid spread of Vibrio vulnificus, a rare but lethal bacteria that can cause vibriosis and sepsis, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the.....»»
Coral reefs: Battlegrounds for survival in a changing climate
Coral reefs, those vibrant underwater cities, stand on the precipice of collapse. While rising ocean temperatures and coral bleaching grab headlines, a new essay in Current Biology reveals a hidden layer of complexity in this fight for survival: the.....»»