Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Better food makes high-latitude animals bigger
New research suggests that animals living at high latitudes grow better than their counterparts closer to the equator because higher-latitude vegetation is more nutritious. The study, published in the February...
Genes for left-right orientation found
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. and Japanese scientists report discovering genes allowing an embryo to locate its left and right sides, and to determine the placement of...
Environmental change impacts Oklahoma rivers
Biodiversity in freshwater systems is impacted as much or more by environmental change than tropical rain forests, according to University of Oklahoma Professor Caryn Vaughn, who serves as director of...
Why humans outlive apes
The same evolutionary genetic advantages that have helped increase human lifespans also make us uniquely susceptible to diseases of ageing such as cancer, heart disease and dementia, reveals a study...
Scientists achieve first rewire of genetic switches
Researchers have successfully carried out the first rewire of genetic switches, creating what could be a vital tool for the development of new drugs and even future gene therapies.
Bigger corn plants bully smaller neighbors in no-till fields
It might not look like there's much going on in those roadside corn fields, but a researcher has shown that corn plants are in a fierce battle with each other...
In bats and whales, convergence in echolocation ability runs deep
Only some bats and toothed whales rely on sophisticated echolocation, in which they emit sonar pulses and process returning echoes, to detect and track down small prey. Now, two new...
'Echoes' in bat and dolphin DNA
Scientists find striking similarities in the DNA that enables some bats and dolphins to use echolocation.
Thinking outside the block in disease gene studies
In the decade since the Human Genome Project produced the first map of DNA sequences in the human genome, scientists throughout the world have combed through genome data to identify...
Lopsided fish show that symmetry is only skin deep
Putting function before form, members of the Perissodinus genus of fish have developed a hugely lopsided jaw that provides a distinct feeding advantage. Research published in the open access journal...
New class of brain-protecting drugs emerging
Researchers have identified a compound that mimics one of the brain's own growth factors and can protect brain cells against damage in several animal models of neurological disease...
Global Update: Parasites: ‘Tropical’ Diseases Are Common in Arctic Dwellers, a Survey Finds
Aboriginal peoples in the Arctic face the kind of worm and protozoan infections that are often described as neglected ailments of the tropics.
Unwanted guests: How herpes simplex virus gets rid of the cell's security guards
A viral infection is like an uninvited, tenacious houseguest in the cell, using a range of tricks to prevent its eviction. Researchers have identified one of the key proteins allowing...
Homing In on Mammalian Echolocation
A handful of animals rely on specially tuned sound--and hearing--to detect objects around them. Bats and whales have some of the best biosonar , and some birds...
Feathered dinos leapt from trees, not ground
While some scientists say Microraptor could have used its feet to walk around, the leaders of a new study say these feathers would have made walking nearly impossible because of...
New groups change ecology
In a changing climate, new combinations of species will live together – but researchers are already finding out how they will go.
Study maps birds' auditory brain pathway
DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Duke University Medical Center scientists say they've identified an auditory feedback pathway in the songbird brain that is needed to learn a song.
Dolphin and bat sonar share DNA design
The sonar sense of dolphins and bats evolved independently in very different environments but is similar at the genetic and molecular level in both species, scientists say.
Technique for preserving pre-transplant livers improves outcomes and organ pool
NEW YORK (Jan. 25, 2010) -- Preserving organs on ice prior to transplantation, an approach known as cold storage or CS, has been the standard practice in liver transplant for...
Collection Provides Supply for Taxonomical Rescues
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Agricultural Research Service maintains some of the world's largest publicly accessible collections of microbes that are used to benefit agricultural sciences. But some smaller ARS collections are...
A Sexy IPO but Will it Pop?
Penthouse Publisher And Sex Site FriendFinder Set For IPO, But Debt Load May Trouble Investors
Parasite spreads between animals, zookeepers
Study: This parasitic illness is not usually serious, but its presence at so many zoo, and among so many different species, shows the need for zoos to closely monitor the...
Sable Island may become national park
Sable Island - an ecologically sensitive island off Nova Scotia known for its wild horses, seals and shipwrecks - is set to become a national park or a national wildlife...
How arthritis thrives
The links between autoimmune diseases, infections, genetics and the environment are complex and mysterious. Why are people who live near airports more susceptible to autoimmune diseases like...
Breeding made dogs' heads incredibly diverse
To get a sense of the not-so-subtle ways humans have influenced the course evolution, one wouldn't need to look further than Fido. Evolution - Human -...
Ebola's Clever Cloak
Structural Biology: Protein that hides viral RNA prevents immune system's detection of deadly virus.
Court Ruling Favors Monsanto
Seed Traits: DuPont cannot combine its own herbicide tolerance with Monsanto's.
Madagascar government's logging policy threatens the island's natural heritage
Madagascar's government decision to allow the export of endangered rosewood may have disastrous consequences for some of the country's unique plant and animal species, and further impoverish the large island...