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How killifish embryos use suspended animation to survive over 8 months of drought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The African turquoise killifish lives in ephemeral ponds in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. To survive the annual dry season, the fish's embryos enter a state of extreme suspended animation or 'diapause' for approximately 8 months. Now, researchers have uncovered the mechanisms that enabled the killifish to evolve this extreme survival state.

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Entomologist sheds light on 250-year-old mystery of the German cockroach      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Entomologists have solved the 250-year-old origin puzzle of the most prevalent indoor urban pest insect on the planet: the German cockroach. The team's research findings, representing the genomic analyses of over 280 specimens from 17 countries and six continents, show that this species evolved some 2,100 years ago from an outdoor-living species in Asia.

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Birth of universe's earliest galaxies observed for first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have now seen the formation of three of the earliest galaxies in the universe, more than 13 billion years ago. The sensational discovery contributes important knowledge about the universe.

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Planet hunters unveil massive catalog of strange worlds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

While thousands of planets have been discovered around other stars, relatively little is known about them. A NASA catalog featuring 126 exotic, newly discovered worlds includes detailed measurements that allow for comparisons with our own solar system.

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First pictures from Euclid satellite reveal billions of orphan stars      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The first scientific pictures from the Euclid satellite mission have revealed more than 1,500 billion orphan stars scattered throughout the Perseus cluster of galaxies.

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Potentially habitable 'exo-Venus' with Earth-like temperature discovered      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Astronomers have made the rare and tantalizing discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet 40 light-years away that may be just a little warmer than our own world. The potentially-habitable planet, named Gliese 12 b, orbits its host star every 12.8 days, is comparable in size to Venus -- so slightly smaller than Earth -- and has an estimated surface temperature of 42 C (107 F), which is lower than most of the 5,000-odd exoplanets confirmed so far. That is assuming it has no atmosphere, however, which is the crucial next step to establishing if it is habitable.

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Sexual parasitism helped anglerfish invade the deep sea during a time of global warming      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Members of the vertebrate group including anglerfishes are unique in possessing a characteristic known as sexual parasitism, in which males temporarily attach or permanently fuse with females to mate. Now, researchers show that sexual parasitism arose during a time of major global warming and rapid transition for anglerfishes from the ocean floor to the deep, open sea.

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Using wobbling stellar material, astronomers measure the spin of a supermassive black hole for the first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Astronomers have a new way to measure how fast a black hole spins, by using the wobbly aftermath from its stellar feasting. The results offer a new way to probe supermassive black holes and their evolution across the universe.

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'Fossilizing' cracks in infrastructure creates sealing that can even survive earthquakes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In a new study, a team of researchers used research on fossilizing techniques to create a new method for sealing cracks and fractures in rocks and bedrock using a 'concretion-forming resin'. This innovative technique has applications in a wide range of industries, from tunnel construction to long-term underground storage of hazardous materials.

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Alaska's rusting waters: Pristine rivers and streams turning orange      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dozens of Alaska's rivers and streams are turning orange. The staining could be the result of minerals exposed by thawing permafrost and climate change, finds a new study.

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Complete stellar collapse: Unusual star system proves that stars can die quietly      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

University of Copenhagen astrophysicists help explain a mysterious phenomenon, whereby stars suddenly vanish from the night sky. Their study of an unusual binary star system has resulted in convincing evidence that massive stars can completely collapse and become black holes without a supernova explosion.

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Otters, especially females, use tools to survive a changing world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sea otters are one of the few animals that use tools to access their food, and a new study has found that individual sea otters that use tools -- most of whom are female -- are able to eat larger prey and reduce tooth damage when their preferred prey becomes depleted.

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Jet-propelled sea creatures could improve ocean robotics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an unusual kind of locomotion that could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles.

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Hubble views the dawn of a sun-like star      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Looking like a glittering cosmic geode, a trio of dazzling stars blaze from the hollowed-out cavity of a reflection nebula in a new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The triple-star system is made up of the variable star HP Tau, HP Tau G2, and HP Tau G3. HP Tau is known as a T Tauri star, a type of young variable star that hasn't begun nuclear fusion yet but is beginning to evolve into a hydrogen-fueled star similar to our Sun.

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Detection of an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting the ultracool dwarf star SPECULOOS-3      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Astronomers have just discovered a new Earth-sized exoplanet around SPECULOOS-3, an 'ultracool dwarf' star as small as Jupiter, twice as cold as our Sun, and located 55 light-years from Earth. After the famous TRAPPIST-1, SPECULOOS 3 is the second planetary system discovered around this type of star.

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Iconic baobabs: The origin and long-distance travels of upside down trees      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The research cracks the code on the iconic baobab tree's origin story, revealing their surprising origins in Madagascar and incredible long-distance dispersals to Africa and Australia. The study unveils how baobabs developed unique pollination mechanisms -- some attracting hawkmoths, others lemurs, and even bats -- showcasing remarkable evolutionary adaptations. The research sheds light on how climate change has shaped the baobab's distribution and diversification over millions of years, offering valuable insights for understanding plant responses to future environmental shifts.