Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Where Did All the Flowers Come From?
A few genes seem to have guided the great evolutionary burst of flowering plants.
'Achilles' Heel' In Y Chromosome Linked To Sex Disorders
The unique mechanism behind the evolutionary survival of the human Y chromosome may also be responsible for a range of sex disorders, from failed sperm production to sex reversal to...
Chimpanzees develop specialized tool kits to catch army ants
Chimpanzees in the Congo have developed specialized "tool kits" to forage for army ants, reveals new research published Sept. 3 in the American Journal of Primatology. This not only provides...
Species Diversity Helps Researchers Refine Analyses Of Human Gene Mutations
Researchers examining DNA mutations from both healthy and diseased patients are evaluating the reliability of computer models aimed at predicting the eventual effect of such mutations.
Gene Called Flower Missing Link In Vesicle Uptake In Neurons
As part of synaptic transmission from one neuron to the next, bubbles containing neurotransmitters that make information exchange possible, travel to the tip of neurons, where they fuse with the...
DNA shows farmers replaced hunter-gatherer
LONDON, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The ancestors of modern-day Europeans likely were farmers and not hunter-gatherers, British researchers said.
Ego City: Cities organised like human brains
Cities are organised like brains, and the evolution of cities mirrors the evolution of human and animal brains, according to a new study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute...
Transplanted human stem cells prolong survival in mouse model of rare brain disease
A new study finds substantial improvement in a mouse model of a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disease after transplantation of normal human neural stem cells. The research findings, published by Cell...
Spare gene is fodder for fishes' evolution
Scientists have suspected that spare parts in the genome - extra copies of functional genes that arise when genes or whole genomes get duplicated - might sometimes provide the raw...
Scripps research scientists identify genetic cause for type of deafness
A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has discovered a genetic cause of progressive hearing loss. The findings will help scientists better understand the nature of age-related...
Indoor plants found to release volatile organic compounds
Potted plants add a certain aesthetic value to homes and offices, bringing a touch of nature to indoor spaces. It has also been shown that many common house plants have...
Mice can eat 'junk' and not get fat
A study in the September 4th issue of the journal Cell identifies a gene that springs into action in response to a high fat diet. Mice that lack the gene...
Last chance to save the saola from extinction?
Conservation biologists based in four countries gathered for an emergency meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR, August 19
Room for Debate: Saving Bees: What We Know Now
Lessons from the battle against colony collapse disorder, which is still decimating hives.
The secrets of the lowly ground beetle could lead to better tissue engineering
The first engineering study of the internal fluid flows of insects, creatures that have evolved efficiently over millions of years, may provide engineers and scientists with new ideas for how...
Better Test To Detect DNA For Diagnosing Disease, Investigating Crimes
Researchers are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to detect DNA. Such tests...
Animals No Safer Inside Kenya's Parks Than Outside?
Over the past 30 years key species have declined by 40 percent both inside and outside the reserves, according to a new study that questions a central tenet of Kenya's wildlife conservation strategy.
Walkman outsells iPod in Japan: survey
The Walkman outsold the iPod in Japan last week for the first time in four years, handing Japanese electronics giant Sony a rare victory over arch-rival Apple, a survey showed.
Elusive UK dolphin re-emerges
An elusive Risso's Dolphin has been seen again off the British coast three years after being sighted in different waters much further north.
400 of Britain's rarest lizard released across UK sites
The endangered lizard has almost disappeared from Britain due to loss of its heath and sandy habitats from agriculture, forest and building developments
Report: Loggerhead turtles at risk of extinction
(AP) -- It's a scene that scientists say is all too common: A commercial fishing boat pulls in a net full of shrimp or tuna and finds a loggerhead...
Scientists to study plant 'switchboards'
A new four-year, $3.72 million grant to North Carolina State University will allow researchers to shed light on an important mystery - how genes impact the type and amount of...
Free radicals
Free radicals are the molecules that outside the human body cause rust in metals or cause browning in sliced apples. Free radical damage in the body is known as oxidative...
Conservatives See Need for Serious Health Debate
Many conservative experts said the dynamic of the debate was making it nearly impossible for them to inject their studied, free-market solutions into the discussions.
Feature: The human being and the environment
As a species, our reliance on unsustainable food is leading us towards extinction. Ray M. Golding looks to our past to find out how we ended up here.
Scientists begin census of microbes: the trillions that live in or on us
Scientists are beginning a large-scale effort to identify and analyze the vast majority of cells in or on your body that aren't of human origin.
Blinkx at work on search engine for online video
If you're like me, when looking for a video online, you reflexively go to YouTube or maybe to Hulu.
Researchers uncover genetic origins of rice fragrance
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new Cornell study reports that the gene that gives rice its highly valued fragrance stems from an ancestor of basmati rice and dispels other long-held assumptions about...