Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology
Published

You say genome editing, I say natural mutation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A plant geneticist and computational biologist teamed up to decipher the unpredictability of natural and engineered mutations in tomatoes. They discovered some combinations of mutations behave as expected while others are more erratic. Their work may help scientists find some order in the chaos of evolution and genome editing.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics
Published

Imprinted genes in the 'parenting hub' of the brain determine if mice are good parents      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Whether a mouse is a good or bad parent can be traced back to imprinted genes in key neurons in the 'parenting hub' in the brain, according to a new study.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Stolen genes allow parasitic control of behavior      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has discovered that parasites manipulate their hosts using stolen genes that they likely acquired through a phenomenon called horizontal gene transfer.

Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Robotic prosthetic ankles improve 'natural' movement, stability      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Robotic prosthetic ankles that are controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more 'naturally,' improving their stability, according to a new study.

Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Choosing exoskeleton settings like a radio station      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Taking inspiration from music streaming services, a team of engineers has designed the simplest way for users to program their own exoskeleton assistance settings.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology
Published

New insights into the genetics of the common octopus: Genome at the chromosome level decoded      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Octopuses are fascinating animals -- and serve as important model organisms in neuroscience, cognition research and developmental biology. To gain a deeper understanding of their biology and evolutionary history, validated data on the composition of their genome is needed, which has been lacking until now. Scientists have now been able to close this gap and, in a new study, determined impressive figures: 2.8 billion base pairs -- organized in 30 chromosomes. What sounds so simple is the result of complex, computer-assisted genome analyses and comparisons with the genomes of other cephalopod species.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction
Published

Whaling wiped out far more fin whales than previously thought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Whaling in the 20th century destroyed 99% of the Eastern North Pacific fin whale breeding population. Because there is enough genetic diversity, current conservation measures should help the population rebound without becoming inbred. The future of fin whales in the Gulf of California depends on the recovery of the Eastern North Pacific population.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
Published

Orchid without bumblebee on island finds wasp, loses self      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Because the bumblebee that an orchid relies on for pollination does not exist on a remote island, the plant gets pollinated by an island wasp. Researchers found that this came at the cost of being hybridized with another orchid species adapted to being pollinated by the wasp. The finding showcases how plants in ecological relationships adapt to changing circumstances.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature
Published

Genomic analysis in snakes shows link between neutral, functional genetic diversity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequenced? But then again, how can scientists justify the time and expense of genome sequencing when age-old measures of neutral genetic diversity are much cheaper and easier to obtain? A new study suggests making a transition from 'old school' genetics to 'new school' genomics for species conservation purposes probably isn't necessary in all cases.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Geoscience: Earth Science Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: General
Published

Scientists, philosophers identify nature's missing evolutionary law      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article describes 'a missing law of nature,' recognizing for the first time an important norm within the natural world's workings.   In essence, the new law states that complex natural systems evolve to states of greater patterning, diversity, and complexity. In other words, evolution is not limited to life on Earth, it also occurs in other massively complex systems, from planets and stars to atoms, minerals, and more.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Extinct ape gets a facelift, 12 million years later      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has reconstructed the well-preserved but damaged skull of a great ape species that lived about 12 million years ago. The species, Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, may be crucial to understanding great ape and human evolution.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Forensic evidence can survive underwater for weeks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Forensic fibers can survive underwater for much longer than previously thought -- which could help criminal investigators uncover vital evidence. New research has found that fiber evidence can survive on fabrics underwater for several weeks.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology
Published

200-year-old DNA helps map tiny fly's genetic course to new lands, modern times      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have extracted and analyzed DNA from fruit flies housed in museum collections in Lund, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Surprisingly, the researchers found the fruit flies collected in Sweden in the early 1800s were more genetically similar to 21st century flies than the Swedish samples from the 1930s.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics
Published

Scientists generate first single-cell 'atlas' of the primate brain to help explore links between molecules, cells, brain function and disease      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As part of the effort to better understand the evolution of the brains in people and animals, a research team has generated the world's largest primate brain-wide atlas.    

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology
Published

Honey bees may inherit altruistic behavior from their mothers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

True altruism is rare behavior in animals, but a new study has found that honey bees display this trait. Additionally, they found that an evolutionary battle of genetics may determine the parent they inherit it from.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

New cyber algorithm shuts down malicious robotic attack      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have designed an algorithm that can intercept a man-in-the-middle (MitM) cyberattack on an unmanned military robot and shut it down in seconds. The algorithm, tested in real time, achieved a 99% success rate.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: General Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Unifying matter, energy and consciousness      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Understanding the interplay between consciousness, energy and matter could bring important insights to our fundamental understanding of reality.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature
Published

Long-term lizard study challenges the rules of evolutionary biology      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers measured natural selection in four Anolis lizard species in the wild for five consecutive time periods over three years. This long-term study in a community of lizards reveals how evolution unfolds in the wild across multiple species. 

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Ginger pigment molecules found in fossil frogs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Palaeontologists discover molecular evidence of phaeomelanin, the pigment that produces ginger coloration. Phaeomelanin is now toxic to animals – this discovery may be first step in understand its evolution.