Biology: Botany Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Plants that survived dinosaur extinction pulled nitrogen from air      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ancient cycad lineages that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs may have done so by relying on symbiotic bacteria in their roots to fix atmospheric nitrogen. The finding came from an effort to understand ancient atmospheres, but became an insight into plant evolution instead.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Nuclear Space: Exploration Space: General
Published

A novel system for slip prevention of unmanned rovers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Planetary rovers, which help humanity explore other planets, can deviate from their targeted paths or get stuck due to slipping on loose soil. To combat this problem, researchers have developed a novel system for rovers to detect their slip condition from the change in the shape of their chassis. This novel technology, inspired by human muscles, can lead to advanced sensing technologies that make travel safer for unmanned vehicles.

Energy: Nuclear Physics: General Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Milestone moment toward development of nuclear clock      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists have started the countdown on developing a new generation of timepieces capable of shattering records by providing accuracy of up to one second in 300 billion years, or about 22 times the age of the universe.

Energy: Nuclear Engineering: Biometric
Published

Monitoring nuclear weapons stockpiles with radio waves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Monitoring whether states are complying with disarmament treaties is not an easy task. An international team has been exploring remote monitoring with the help of two antennas and a couple of mirrors.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Extraordinary fossil find reveals details about the weight and diet of extinct saber-toothed marsupial      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A 13-million-year-old saber-toothed marsupial skeleton discovered during paleontological explorations in Colombia is the most complete specimen recovered in the region.

Biology: Biochemistry Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Race to find world's oldest mammal fossils led to mud-slinging      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The hunt for the world’s most ancient mammals descended into academic warfare in the seventies, researchers have discovered.

Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: General
Published

Survival of the newest: the mammals that survive mass extinctions aren't as 'boring' as scientists thought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For decades, scientists have assumed that mammals and their relatives that survived challenging times (like those during mass extinctions) made it because they were generalists that were able to eat just about anything and adapt to whatever life threw at them. A new study into the mammal family tree through multiple mass extinctions revealed that the species that survived aren't as generic as scientists had thought: instead, having new and different traits can be the key to succeeding in the aftermath of a catastrophe.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin's finch evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers has released a landmark study on contemporary evolutionary change in natural populations. Their study uses one of the largest genomic datasets ever produced for animals in their natural environment, comprising nearly 4,000 Darwin's finches. The study has revealed the genetic basis of adaptation in this iconic group.

Energy: Nuclear Physics: General
Published

Chi-Nu experiment ends with data to support nuclear security, energy reactors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The results of the Chi-Nu physics experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory have contributed essential, never-before-observed data for enhancing nuclear security applications, understanding criticality safety and designing fast-neutron energy reactors.

Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Milestone for novel atomic clock      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international research team has taken a decisive step toward a new generation of atomic clocks. The researchers have created a much more precise pulse generator based on the element scandium, which enables an accuracy of one second in 300 billion years -- that is about a thousand times more precise than the current standard atomic clock based on caesium.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Researchers' analysis of perching birds points to new answers in evolutionary diversification      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands almost 200 years ago as a gentleman naturalist, he used the power of observation to develop his theory that species evolve over time.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

RNA for the first time recovered from an extinct species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows the isolation and sequencing of more than a century-old RNA molecules from a Tasmanian tiger specimen preserved at room temperature in a museum collection. This resulted in the reconstruction of skin and skeletal muscle transcriptomes from an extinct species for the first time. The researchers note that their findings have relevant implications for international efforts to resurrect extinct species, including both the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth, as well as for studying pandemic RNA viruses.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: General
Published

Mutation rates in whales are much higher than previously reported      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of marine scientists has studied the DNA of family groups from four different whale species to estimate their mutation rates. Using the newly determined rates, the group found that the number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic before whaling was 86 percent lower than earlier studies suggested.

Energy: Nuclear Physics: General
Published

Exploring light neutron-rich nuclei: First observation of oxygen-28      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The neutron-rich oxygen isotopes oxygen-27 and oxygen-28 exist as very short-lived resonances, report scientists based on the first observation of their decay into oxygen-24 and three and four neutrons, respectively. Notably, the oxygen-28 nucleus is found not to be 'doubly magic' as expected in the standard shell-model picture. This study provides valuable insights into the nuclear structure.

Energy: Nuclear Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Researchers develop a unique quantum mechanical approach to determining metal ductility      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of scientists developed a new quantum-mechanics-based approach to predict metal ductility. The team demonstrated its effectiveness on refractory multi-principal-element alloys.