Protein 'chameleon' colors long-term memory
A chameleonlike protein in neurons can change its mind, and in the process change our brains.
Biochemistry
Aug 25, 2020
0
211
News tagged with spines
Jurassic stick insect performed mimicry to defend against predators
Phasmatodea, commonly known as stick insects and leaf insects, are icons of crypsis and primary defense specialization, exhibiting a wide range of remarkable morphological and behavioral modifications associated with camouflage. ...
Plants & Animals
May 19, 2020
0
22
Micro-CT scans give clues about how hero shrews' bizarre backbones evolved
At first glance, hero shrews don't seem super exciting—they're small grayish-brown mammals, related to moles and hedgehogs, and they look a little bit like chubby, long-nosed rats. But under their fur, they have some of ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 28, 2020
2
166
Actin 'avalanches' may make memories stick
If you're on skis, you want to avoid avalanches. But when the right kind happen in your brain, you shouldn't worry. You won't feel them. They're probably to your benefit.
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 20, 2020
0
297
Leaf economic spectrum and structural defenses are coupled in spiny species
Previous studies have shown that spines are associated with resource acquisitive life‐history strategies. However, the studies included both spiny and non‐spiny species (i.e. species that never produce spines), potentially ...
Ecology
Apr 06, 2020
0
5
Microscopic spines connect worm neurons
Dendritic "spines"—small protrusions on the receiving side of the connection (synapse) between two nerve cells—are recognized as key functional components of neuronal circuits in mammals. The shapes and numbers of spines ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 21, 2019
0
5
Queuing for eternity: Fossils show lining up is primal urge
Ever felt like you've been queuing forever?
Paleontology & Fossils
Oct 17, 2019
0
9574
Native foods are key to preserving rodent gut bacteria in captivity
As Rodolfo Martinez-Mota well knows, from the cactus spines in his clothes and skin, white-throated woodrats love to eat prickly pear cactus (from the Opuntia genus). They like the cactus so much that their gut microorganism ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 09, 2019
0
94
How the pufferfish got its wacky spines
Pufferfish are known for their strange and extreme skin ornaments, but how they came to possess the spiky skin structures known as spines has largely remained a mystery. Now, researchers have identified the genes responsible ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 25, 2019
0
13
Dinosaur that defended itself with spiny backbone found in Patagonia
A herbivorous dinosaur that fended off predators with a row of spines running along its back and lived 140 million years ago has been found in Argentine Patagonia.
Archaeology
Feb 04, 2019
5
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