Humans Hear Much Better Underwater Than Previously Thought – At Times Better Than Seals
Humans or seals? Who has the best underwater hearing? All mammals lived on land millions of years ago, but eventually, certain species abandoned the land…
Biology News
The Case of the False Thumb: Giant Panda’s “Amazing” Feature Developed at Least Six Million Years Ago
Eating bamboo? It’s all in the wrist. When is a thumb not really a thumb? When it’s an elongated wrist bone of the giant panda…
Key to Sensation of Pleasant Touch: Specific Neural Pathway Identified
Similar to itch, pleasant touch is transmitted by a specific neuropeptide and neural circuit. Researchers have identified a neural circuit and a neuropeptide — a…
Incredible Virus Discovery Offers Clues About the Origins of Complex Life
The first discovery of viruses infecting a group of microbes that may include the ancestors of all complex life has been found, scientists at The…
Remarkable Intelligence: Octopus and Human Brains Share the Same “Jumping Genes”
New research has identified an important molecular analogy that could explain the remarkable intelligence of these fascinating invertebrates. An exceptional organism with an extremely complex…
MIT Develops Nanoparticles That Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier To Treat Cancer Tumors
Tested using a new brain tissue model, the tiny particles may be able to deliver chemotherapy drugs for glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive type of…
Giant Bacteria – 5,000 Times Bigger Than Normal – Discovered in Guadeloupe Mangroves
Though newly discovered bacteria are visible to the naked eye, microscopy reveals unexpected complexity. At first glance, the slightly murky waters in the tube look…
Microscopic Mites That Mate on Our Faces at Night May Soon Become One With Humans
The secret lives of mites in the skin of our faces. First ever comprehensive DNA analysis of mites that live in the hair follicles of…
419-Million-Year-Old Chinese Fossil Shows Human Middle Ear Evolved From Fish Gills
The human middle ear—which houses three tiny, vibrating bones—is key to transporting sound vibrations into the inner ear, where they become nerve impulses that allow…
Missing for Decades: Researchers Identify Over 500 Species As “Lost”
A new study has identified 562 lost species An international study provides the first worldwide assessment of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not been…
A Shortcut to Preventing Cancer
A new theory suggests that mutations have few straightforward ways to establish themselves in cells and cause tumors. For many researchers, the road to cancer…
Scientists Discover Largest Plant on Earth – Estimated To Be at Least 4,500 Years Old
Australian scientists believe they have discovered the world’s biggest plant – and they estimate it’s at least 4,500 years old. The ancient and incredibly resilient…
Scientists Find the Genetic Origin of Our Senses
University of Innsbruck researchers have identified the genetic origin of our senses Researchers from the University of Innsbruck have determined the genetic origin of our…
Largest-Ever Family Tree for Primates – Including Both Living and Extinct Species
Fossil-based compilation reveals new information on the evolution and spread of primates. The largest and most comprehensive family tree of the order primates, including both…
Neuroscientists Discover New Factors Behind Better Vision
Visual Cortex Size, Brain Tissue Can Predict How Well We See In many ways, the eye functions as a camera, with the retina acting as…
Plastic Pollution in the Ocean May Harbor Novel Antibiotics
Many environmentalists point to plastic pollution in the ocean as a large and growing problem, pointing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how even…
A New Technique Can Predict Pregnancy Success and Timing
A new sperm age measurement could predict pregnancy success Pregnancy, often known as gestation, is the period of time when one or more fetuses grow…
New Comprehensive Map Ties Every Human Gene to Its Function
Scientists used their single-cell sequencing tool Perturb-seq on every expressed gene in the human genome, linking each to its job in the cell. Genetics research…
