Mutations are the raw material of evolution. For example, a single change in an DNA base pair can cause a protein molecule to lose its function, with potentially major effects on the overall organism. However, mutations—and ...
Evolution
Sep 5, 2022
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103
If you think about "unraveling the mysteries of the universe," you probably think of physics: astronomers peering through telescopes at distant galaxies, or experimenters smashing particles to smithereens at the Large Hadron ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 20, 2022
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214
We do it every day but barely give it a thought: chewing our food. But the "simple" process of masticating food may have played a crucial role in the evolution of our jaws, facial muscles and teeth.
Evolution
Aug 17, 2022
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42
Many mammal species living in cold climates tend to have large bodies and short limbs to reduce heat loss—a general pattern known as Bergmann's rule. However, bats are the exception to the rule, displaying small body sizes ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 21, 2022
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154
Every biological process depends critically on temperature. It's true of the very small, the very large, and every scale in between, from molecules to ecosystems and across every environment.
Ecology
Jul 19, 2022
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397
Even as gas prices soar, most people don't destroy their car's engine just to save energy—and that's one luxury certain insects have that those humans don't.
Plants & Animals
Jul 19, 2022
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432
Songbirds learning from nearby birds that food supplies might be growing short respond by changing their physiology as well as their behavior, research by the Oregon State University College of Science shows.
Plants & Animals
Jul 1, 2022
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1009
Any animal ascending a mountain experiences a double whammy of impediments: The air gets thinner as it also becomes colder, which is particularly problematic for creatures struggling to keep warm when less oxygen is available. ...
Plants & Animals
May 27, 2022
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225
For decades, paleontologists have debated whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded, like modern mammals and birds, or cold-blooded, like modern reptiles. Knowing whether dinosaurs were warm- or cold-blooded could give us hints ...
Paleontology & Fossils
May 25, 2022
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1277
A trio of researchers, two with Universidad Austral de Chile, and one with Universidad Católica de Chile, has found that a gram of hibernating bat has a similar metabolism to a gram of hibernating bear. In their paper published ...
