Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Male Fish Punish Unruly Females -- And Benefit, Study Says
Bad fish! Male cleaner fish penalize out-of-line females, according to the first study to show that third-party punishers prosper.
Cold War offered odd benefit - it limited species invasions
A recent study about movement of bird species during the Cold War outlines one of the perils facing an expanding global economy - along with international trade comes the potential...
Sleeping Beauty hooks up with herpes to fight brain disease
Neuroscientists have forged an unlikely molecular union as part of their fight against diseases of the brain and nervous system...
Periodic paralysis study reveals gene causing disorder
Scientists have identified a gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle. The finding, they say, illustrates how investigations of rare genetic diseases can drive insights into...
What came first in the origin of life? A study contradicts the 'metabolism first' hypothesis
A research published in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences rejects the theory that the origin of life stems from a system of self-catalytic molecules capable of experiencing Darwinian evolution...
How plants 'feel' the temperature rise
Plants are incredibly temperature sensitive and can perceive changes of as little as one degree Celsius. Now, a report in the January 8th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell...
When hooking up with opposite sex, genital complexities do matter, fruit fly research finds
Charles Darwin spent eight years studying barnacles and their genitalia. In much less time than that, modern-day evolutionary biologists have confirmed one of Darwin's theories: that genitalia complexities in some...
Organic Feed Shown to Affect Genes in Chickens
Genetic expression differed based solely on whether the same feed ingredients were cultivated organically or not According to a new study, organic feed produces measurably different gene expression in chickens compared to normal...
Where do puffins go in the winter?
A recent increase in winter mortality in Atlantic puffins could be due to worsening conditions within the North Sea, according to new findings published in the scientific journal Marine Biology....
Coral reefs quickly create new species
BERLIN, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- New species originated 50 percent more quickly in coral reefs than other tropical marine habitats during the last 540 million years, German scientists said.
Turner bid for Yellowstone bison draws protest
(AP) -- Ted Turner's bid to get 74 wild bison from Yellowstone National Park is drawing stiff opposition from those who say the animals are being given up for...
Biologists develop efficient genetic modification of human embryonic stem cells
Biologists have developed an efficient way to genetically modify human embryonic stem cells. Their approach, which uses bacterial artificial chromosomes to swap in defective copies of genes, will make possible...
Tracking Evolution's Footprint Through The Human Genome
While fossils may provide some tantalizing clues about human history, they also lack vital information needed to understand the past, such as which pieces of human DNA have been favored...
Fruit fly bodies bank stem cells
Protective pockets hold reserves until it's time for stem cells to become intestinal cells
Lean Bacon And A Domesticated DNA Parasite
Here is a molecular biology discovery that we can chalk up to our increasing love of lean bacon: "ZBED6, a Novel Transcription Factor Derived from a Domesticated DNA Transposon Regulates IGF2...
8 Percent of Human Genome Was Inserted By Virus, and May Cause Schizophrenia
The rise of psychopharmacology has led doctors to not only treat mental illnesses like regular diseases, but think of them as such as well. Turns out, schizophrenia may be more than just...
Environmentalists and fishing community can both win, say experts
You can conserve fish and eat them too, according to a fisheries economist.
Could Extinct Species Make A Comeback?
Lesley Stahl Reports on Research That Could One Day Resurrect Extinct Species And Save Endangered Ones
Did We Mate Or Murder Neanderthals?
Scientists Say Modern Humans' More Varied Lifestyle May Have Been Key To Survival
Researchers discover genetic differences between lethal and treatable forms of leukemia
NEW YORK (Jan. 7, 2010) -- A tumor's genetic profile is often useful when diagnosing and deciding on treatment for certain cancers, but inexplicably, genetically similar leukemias in different...
Cleopatra's stunner make-up cured eye disease as well
Ancient Egypt's stunning eye make-up not only shielded wearers from the dark deeds of the evil eye but also protected them against eye disease, French scientists said Thursday.
Righting the Body’s Clock Through Chemicals
Science is hard at work looking for ways to get circadian rhythms to snap back into place.
World view: Tomorrow never knows
Science should focus more on understanding the present and less on predicting the future, argues Daniel Sarewitz.
Scientists uncover role of protein critical for activating DNA replication
Scientists have discovered how a protein long known to be an essential activator of DNA replication actually triggers this process in cells. The protein, called DDK (for Ddf4-dependent protein kinase),...
New molecular mechanism discovered that guides visual nerves towards brain
Scientists have discovered a new molecular mechanism that permits the guidance of visual nerves towards the brain.
Weight Is a Prickly Problem: a Key Role for Hedgehog Signaling in Controlling Fat Storage
Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna (Austria) have identified a key regulator of white versus brown adipose cell fate. The findings are reported in the January 7...
Giant nanowheel mystery solved
The self-assembly of huge molybdenum wheels relies on the spontaneous formation of an temporary internal template
Scientists Investigate How Fireflies Emit Different Colors of Light
(PhysOrg.com) -- There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies around the world, many of which are best known for their bioluminescence. Fireflies, which are not flies but beetles, produce...