Humans hot, sweaty, natural-born runners
Hairless, clawless, and largely weaponless, ancient humans used the unlikely combination of sweatiness and relentlessness to gain the upper hand over their faster, stronger, generally more dangerous animal prey, Harvard Anthropology ...
Biology /
Apr 16, 2007 |
4.6 / 5 (231) |
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Research confirms theory that all modern humans descended from the same small group of people
Researchers have produced new DNA evidence that almost certainly confirms the theory that all modern humans have a common ancestry.
Biology /
May 08, 2007 |
4.4 / 5 (163) |
0
Why Life Originated (And Why it Continues)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Today, scientists understand pretty well how life evolves, by mechanisms based on Darwin’s theory of natural selection for survival of the fittest. However, Darwin’s 1859 classic, On the Origin ...
Biology /
Dec 09, 2008 |
4.2 / 5 (171) |
111
First genome transplant changes one species into another
For the first time, scientists have completely transformed a species of bacteria into another species by transplanting its complete set of DNA. The achievement marks a significant step toward the construction ...
Biology /
Aug 16, 2007 |
4.7 / 5 (121) |
0
Algae could generate hydrogen for fuel cells
For several decades, scientists have known that certain species of algae can produce hydrogen in anaerobic conditions. More recently, researchers have been trying to take advantage of this ability to produce ...
Biology /
Nov 13, 2007 |
4.6 / 5 (122) |
0
Scientists say dolphins should be treated as non-human persons
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists studying dolphin behavior have suggested they could be the most intelligent creatures on Earth after humans, saying the size of their brains in relation to body size is larger than ...
Jan 06, 2010 |
4.6 / 5 (120) |
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Study says eyes evolved for X-Ray vision
The advantage of using two eyes to see the world around us has long been associated solely with our capacity to see in 3-D. Now, a new study from a scientist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has uncovered ...
Biology /
Aug 28, 2008 |
2.9 / 5 (191) |
26
Ancient predator had strongest bite of any fish, rivaling bite of large alligators and T. rex
It could bite a shark in two. It might have been the first “king of the beasts.” And it could teach scientists a lot about humans, because it is in the sister group of all jawed vertebrates.
Biology /
Nov 28, 2006 |
4.5 / 5 (116) |
0
The good news in our DNA: Defects you can fix with vitamins and minerals
As the cost of sequencing a single human genome drops rapidly, with one company predicting a price of $100 per person in five years, soon the only reason not to look at your "personal genome" will be fear of what bad news ...
Biology /
Jun 02, 2008 |
4.6 / 5 (110) |
1
New motor first to be powered by living bacteria
A new motor designed by scientists from Japan offers the best of both worlds: the living and the non-living. The group built a hybrid micromachine that is powered by gliding bacteria which travels on an inorganic ...
Biology /
Oct 12, 2006 |
4.7 / 5 (103) |
0
Scientists discover why flies are so hard to swat
(PhysOrg.com) -- Over the past two decades, Michael Dickinson has been interviewed by reporters hundreds of times about his research on the biomechanics of insect flight. One question from the press has always dogged him: ...
Biology /
Aug 28, 2008 |
4.2 / 5 (113) |
11
Scientists Find Memory Molecule
In an article in Science magazine, SUNY Downstate researchers describe erasing memory from the brain by targeting a molecular mechanism that controls memory. Finding may be applied to chronic pain, memory loss, and other ...
Biology /
Aug 27, 2006 |
4.6 / 5 (102) |
0
Gene mutation linked to cognition is found only in humans
The human and chimpanzee genomes vary by just 1.2 percent, yet there is a considerable difference in the mental and linguistic capabilities between the two species. A new study showed that a certain form of neuropsin, a protein ...
Biology /
May 08, 2007 |
4.4 / 5 (103) |
0
Free will is an illusion, biologist says
(PhysOrg.com) -- When biologist Anthony Cashmore claims that the concept of free will is an illusion, he's not breaking any new ground. At least as far back as the ancient Greeks, people have wondered how ...
Mar 03, 2010 |
3.3 / 5 (136) |
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Blue-eyed humans have a single, common ancestor
New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. A team at the University of Copenhagen have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye colour ...
Biology /
Jan 30, 2008 |
4.5 / 5 (100) |
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