Model sheds light on the chemistry that sparked the origin of life

The question of how life began on a molecular level has been a longstanding problem in science. However, recent mathematical research sheds light on a possible mechanism by which life may have gotten a foothold in the chemical ...

Ancient mollusc missing link revealed in 3-D

Scientists have discovered a rare fossil called Kulindroplax, the missing link between two mollusc groups, which is revealed in a 3D computer model, in research published today in the journal Nature.

Using computer models to help our fragile ecosystem

Global warming is well-known for its effect on the climate. But it also poses a threat to the world's ecosystems. University of Toronto researcher Benjamin Gilbert wants to know more about that process.

Why are there so many species of beetles and so few crocodiles?

There are more than 400,000 species of beetles and only two species of the tuatara, a reptile cousin of snakes and lizards that lives in New Zealand. Crocodiles and alligators, while nearly 250 million years old, have diversified ...

Chinese scientists crack the genome of diploid cotton

The international research team led by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and BGI have completed the genome sequence and analysis of a diploid cotton— Gossypium raimondii. The cotton genome provides an invaluable ...

Not all altruism is alike, says new study

(Phys.org) -- Not all acts of altruism are alike, says a new study. From bees and wasps that die defending their nests, to elephants that cooperate to care for young, a new mathematical model pinpoints the environmental conditions ...

Research shows rats have best bite of rodent world

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that mice and rats have evolved to gnaw with their front teeth and chew with their back teeth more successfully than rodents that 'specialise' in one or other of these ...

Shortcuts costly when buying conservation from farmers: study

Farmers in the U.S. and the European Union receive billions of dollars in government subsidies each year to make changes in their operations that will improve the environment. However, a new study by Paul Armsworth, assistant ...

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