What our ancestors' third eye reveals about the evolution of mammals to warm blood
French philosopher René Descartes believed that the pineal gland, a tiny button of neurons located in the depth of our brain, was the seat of the soul.
French philosopher René Descartes believed that the pineal gland, a tiny button of neurons located in the depth of our brain, was the seat of the soul.
Archaeology
Nov 14, 2016
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213
(Phys.org) -- An effective new weapon in the fight against the spread of cane toads has been developed by the University of Sydney, in collaboration with the University of Queensland.
Plants & Animals
Jun 13, 2012
12
1
We are not venomous, and neither are mice—but within our genomes lurks that potential, suggest scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) and the Australian National University. ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 29, 2021
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3225
Technology that can map out the genes at work in a snake or lizard's mouth has, in many cases, changed the way scientists define an animal as venomous. If oral glands show expression of some of the 20 gene families associated ...
Evolution
Dec 8, 2014
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0
The venom of advanced snakes is a mixture of dozens of different proteins and is an example of an evolutionary innovation – a novel trait that has arisen in a particular animal group and which has contributed to their success. ...
Evolution
Aug 11, 2014
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Why is caring for young shared unequally between the sexes in so many animal species? Research from the University of Bristol, UK suggests that small initial differences which predispose one sex to care more are exaggerated ...
Evolution
Feb 17, 2015
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548
The Venus flytrap digests its prey using enzymes produced by special glands. For the first time, a research team has measured and meticulously analysed the glands' activity.
Plants & Animals
Apr 21, 2017
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27
Snakes, some lizards and even a few mammals can have a venomous bite. Although these lineages split more than 300 million years ago, their venoms have evolved from the same ancestral salivary protein, reported scientists ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 22, 2021
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350
Utah State University biologist Edmund 'Butch' Brodie, Jr. and colleagues from São Paulo's Butantan Institute report the first known evidence of oral venom glands in amphibians. Their research, supported by the Brazilian ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 3, 2020
1
627
An international team of scientists has discovered how an important natural antibiotic called dermcidin, produced by our skin when we sweat, is a highly efficient tool to fight tuberculosis germs and other dangerous bugs.
Biochemistry
Feb 21, 2013
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0