Showing 20 articles starting at article 821
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Developmental, Paleontology: General
Published Computer model IDs roles of individual genes in early embryonic development
(via sciencedaily.com) Computer software can predict what happens to complex gene networks when individual genes are missing or dialed up more than usual. Mapping the roles of single genes in these networks is key to understanding healthy development and finding ways to regrow damaged cells and tissues. Understanding genetic errors could provide insight into birth defects, miscarriage or even cancer.
Published Record low sea ice cover in the Antarctic
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There is currently less sea ice in the Antarctic than at any time in the forty years since the beginning of satellite observation: in early February 2023, only 2.20 million square kilometers of the Southern Ocean were covered with sea ice.
Published Fossil discovery reveals complex ecosystems existed on Earth much earlier than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source About 250 million years ago, the Permian-Triassic mass extinction killed over 80 per cent of the planet's species. In the aftermath, scientists believe that life on earth was dominated by simple species for up to 10 million years before more complex ecosystems could evolve. Now this longstanding theory is being challenged by a team of international researchers.
Published 2.9-million-year-old butchery site reopens case of who made first stone tools
(via sciencedaily.com) Along the shores of Africa's Lake Victoria in Kenya roughly 2.9 million years ago, early human ancestors used some of the oldest stone tools ever found to butcher hippos and pound plant material, according to new research. The study presents what are likely to be the oldest examples of a hugely important stone-age innovation known to scientists as the Oldowan toolkit, as well as the oldest evidence of hominins consuming very large animals. Excavations at the site, named Nyayanga and located on the Homa Peninsula in western Kenya, also produced a pair of massive molars belonging to the human species' close evolutionary relative Paranthropus. The teeth are the oldest fossilized Paranthropus remains yet found, and their presence at a site loaded with stone tools raises intriguing questions about which human ancestor made those tools.
Published Scientists develop new index based on functional morphology to understand how ancestors of modern birds used their wings
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have compared the relationship among the strength of flight bones, body mass, and the way modern birds fly to better understand the evolution of flight in birds and extinct animals, such as the Pteranodon.
Published A fossil fruit from California shows ancestors of coffee and potatoes survived cataclysm that killed the dinosaurs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The discovery of an 80-million-year-old fossil plant pushes back the known origins of lamiids to the Cretaceous, extending the record of nearly 40,000 species of flowering plants including modern-day staple crops like coffee, tomatoes, potatoes and mint.
Published Changing climate conditions likely facilitated early human migration to the Americas at key intervals, research suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have pinpointed two intervals when ice and ocean conditions would have been favorable to support early human migration from Asia to North America late in the last ice age, a new paper shows.
Published Human brain organoids respond to visual stimuli when transplanted into adult rats
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers show that brain organoids -- clumps of lab-grown neurons -- can integrate with rat brains and respond to visual stimulation like flashing lights.
Published Mistaken fossil rewrites history of Indian subcontinent for second time
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists discovered the first-ever Dickinsonia fossil in India two years ago, changing our understanding of how the continent came to be. Now, new research shows the 'fossil' was just a beehive all along, changing our understanding for a second time, and the original scientists now support the new findings.
Published 319-million-year-old fish preserves the earliest fossilized brain of a backboned animal
(via sciencedaily.com) The CT-scanned skull of a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish, pulled from a coal mine in England more than a century ago, has revealed the oldest example of a well-preserved vertebrate brain.
Published This groundbreaking biomaterial heals tissues from the inside out
(via sciencedaily.com) A new biomaterial that can be injected intravenously, reduces inflammation in tissue and promotes cell and tissue repair. The biomaterial was tested and proven effective in treating tissue damage caused by heart attacks in both rodent and large animal models. Researchers also provided proof of concept in a rodent model that the biomaterial could be beneficial to patients with traumatic brain injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Published New ancient 'marine crocodile' discovered on UK's Jurassic Coast -- and it's one of the oldest specimens of its type ever found
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has uncovered a new thalattosuchian -- an ancient 'sister' of modern-day crocodiles' ancestors.
Published New species of microalgae discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) A new species of microalgae was found in water from a home aquarium. While analyzing DNA samples taken from the algae, researchers discovered Medakamo hakoo, whose DNA sequence didn't match any on record. This new species is the smallest known freshwater green algae, with inherent qualities which enable it to be cultured stably at high density, meaning it could be effectively used to produce useful products for food and industry.
Published Mercury helps to detail Earth's most massive extinction event
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists are working to understand the cause and how the events of the LPME unfolded by focusing on mercury from Siberian volcanoes that ended up in sediments in Australia and South Africa.
Published AI technology generates original proteins from scratch
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have created an AI system capable of generating artificial enzymes from scratch. In laboratory tests, some of these enzymes worked as well as those found in nature, even when their artificially generated amino acid sequences diverged significantly from any known natural protein.
Published Artificial human skin paves the way to new skin cancer therapy
(via sciencedaily.com) In a new study, researchers have managed to curb skin cancer. The study was conducted on artificial human skin.
Published Pioneering approach advances study of CTCF protein in transcription biology
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists used the auxin-inducible degron 2 system on CTCF, bringing the novel approach to bear on a fundamental protein.
Published New geosciences study shows Triassic fossils that reveal origins of living amphibians
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of paleontologists have discovered the first 'unmistakable' Triassic-era caecilian fossil -- the oldest-known caecilian fossils -- thus extending the record of this small, burrowing animal by roughly 35 million years. The find also fills a gap of at least 87 million years in the known historical fossil record of the amphibian-like creature.
Published Scientists discover the evolutionary secret behind different animal life cycles
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers uncover for the first time the mechanism that likely explains how embryos form either a larva or a miniature version of the adult.
Published What crocodile DNA reveals about the Ice Age
(via sciencedaily.com) What drives crocodile evolution? Is climate a major factor or changes in sea levels? Determined to find answers to these questions, researchers discovered that while changing temperatures and rainfall had little impact on the crocodiles' gene flow over the past three million years, changes to sea levels during the Ice Age had a different effect.