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Evolution news
Researcher outlines how whales' sensory systems have evolved through imaging technology
If you've ever had an ear infection that made you dizzy or unbalanced, the infection likely was affecting your vestibular complex—part of the intricate system of hard and soft tissues that make up the inner ear. Knowledge ...
Plants & Animals
1 hour ago
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A dinosaur trove in Italy rewrites the history, geography and evolution of the ancient Mediterranean area
Italy is not exactly renowned for dinosaurs. In comparison to its excellent artistic and archaeological heritage, dinosaur fossils are very rare. Not surprisingly, the discovery of the first isolated dinosaurs in the early ...
Evolution
4 hours ago
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115
Clam fossils help scientists find errors in evolutionary tree calculations
There are extinctions, and then there's the "Great Dying." That was the Permian-Triassic extinction around 250 million years ago, which wiped out nearly all life on Earth.
Evolution
4 hours ago
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143
Mystery solved: Footprints from site at Laetoli, Tanzania, are from early humans, not bears
The oldest unequivocal evidence of upright walking in the human lineage are footprints discovered at Laetoli, Tanzania in 1978, by paleontologist Mary Leakey and her team. The bipedal trackways date to 3.7 million years ago. ...
Evolution
Dec 01, 2021
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1897
Male animals are subject to stronger evolutionary pressures than females
Male animals are subject to stronger selection pressures than females, which may allow populations to adapt to environmental change more efficiently, according to a report published in the open-access journal eLife.
Evolution
Nov 30, 2021
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50
Extinct swordfish-shaped marine reptile discovered
A team of international researchers from Canada, Colombia, and Germany has discovered a new marine reptile. The specimen, a stunningly preserved meter-long skull, is one of the last surviving ichthyosaurs—ancient animals ...
Evolution
Nov 29, 2021
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333
High-flying morpho butterflies evolved into efficient gliders
Some morpho butterflies live and fly high in the canopy of the Amazonian rainforest, and have evolved into highly-efficient gliding flyers. These results revealed by Wageningen University & Research and published in Science ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 29, 2021
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170
New study suggests infrasound may play an important role in how seabirds navigate
How seabirds navigate across thousands of miles of seemingly featureless ocean is one of nature's mysteries.
Plants & Animals
Nov 26, 2021
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181
How to read a jellyfish's mind
The human brain has 100 billion neurons, making 100 trillion connections. Understanding the precise circuits of brain cells that orchestrate all of our day-to-day behaviors—such as moving our limbs, responding to fear and ...
Evolution
Nov 26, 2021
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483
Hormones, harmonics help explain sex differences in sound processing
A new Northwestern University study suggests sex hormones differentiate hearing in male versus female brains.
Plants & Animals
Nov 26, 2021
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128
Loss of ancient grazers triggered a global rise in fires
From 50,000 years to 6,000 years ago, many of the world's largest animals, including such iconic grassland grazers as the woolly mammoth, giant bison, and ancient horses, went extinct. The loss of these grazing species triggered ...
Evolution
Nov 25, 2021
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1227
Sun compass on demand
Monarch butterflies are famous for their annual long-distance migration, which takes them over several thousand kilometers from the north of the USA to their overwintering habitat in central Mexico. On their migration, the ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 24, 2021
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124
Hybrid species like the 'coywolf' could hold clues about human evolutionary history
The offspring of two horses will be a horse, and the offspring of two donkeys will be a donkey. But the offspring of a horse and a donkey will be a mule. And most mules are infertile, so mules are not a species.
Plants & Animals
Nov 24, 2021
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427
Himalayan bats are functionally less diverse at high than at lower elevations, but show the same evolutionary diversity
Million years of evolution have produced a dazzling variety of species, each uniquely adapted to its environment. A straightforward way to measuring biodiversity is by the number of species (taxonomic diversity). Recently, ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 24, 2021
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Dopamine plays key role in songbird mating
In humans, the dopamine system has been tied to rewards and pleasurable sensations. As well as to memory and learning. A recent study from McGill University, published in Current Biology, suggests that dopamine may also play ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 23, 2021
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53
New research outlines how longer lives are tied to physical activity
Just about everyone knows that exercise is good for you. Some people can even rattle off reasons it keeps your muscles and joints strong, and how it fights off certain diseases. But how many people can tell you the story ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 22, 2021
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3431
How smart is an octopus?
The unique brainpower of octopuses—known for their intelligence and Houdini-like escapes—has been revealed by University of Queensland researchers.
Plants & Animals
Nov 22, 2021
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142
Just as humans recognize faces, bees are born with an innate ability to find and remember flowers
We've all watched a honeybee fly past us and land on a nearby flower. But how does she know what she's looking for?
Evolution
Nov 22, 2021
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48
Studying the causes of biodiversity loss is a logistical Herculean task
The question of the causes of species extinction confronts science with complex tasks. Dr. Sarah Redlich from the Biocentre discusses the challenge of creating a study design.
Evolution
Nov 22, 2021
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Evidence found of genetic evolution in Europeans over past several thousand years
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China has found evidence of natural selection based evolutionary changes to people living in Europe over the past two to three thousand years. In their paper published ...
More news
There may be more bird species in the tropics than we know
A new approach to identify mammals good at learning sounds
Other news
Wrangling an octopus-like viral replication machine
Scientists pinpoint protein's role in critical gene expression
Plant pathogen evades immune system by targeting the microbiome
Spacewalking astronauts replace antenna after debris scare
Three-dimensional imaging with optical frequency combs
Growing carbon footprint for plastics
Live imaging of transcription using active RNA polymerase II-specific probes
Island turns into open-air lab for tech-savvy volcanologists
New evidence hints at volcanic activity within Venuses' Idunn Mons
New method to determine how proteins are organized on the surface of cells
The Norwegian wolf is extinct
