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Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Geoscience: Geology
Published Bees and wasps use the same architectural solutions to join large hexagons to small hexagons



Bees and wasps have converged on the same architectural solutions to nest-building problems, according to new research.
Published 'Swine flu' strain has passed from humans to swine nearly 400 times since 2009



A new study of the strain of influenza A responsible for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic -- pdm09 -- shows that the virus has passed from humans to swine about 370 times since 2009, and subsequent circulation in swine has resulted in the evolution of pdm09 variants that then jumped from swine to humans.
Published New archosaur species shows that precursor of dinosaurs and pterosaurs was armored



Researchers have described a new species of armored reptile that lived near the time of the first appearance of dinosaurs. With bony plates on its backbone, this archosaur fossil reveals that armor was a boomerang trait in the story of dinosaur and pterosaur evolution: the group's ancestors were armored, but this characteristic was lost and then independently re-evolved multiple times later among specialized dinosaurs like ankylosaurs, stegosaurs, and others.
Published Missing island explains how endemic species on the Miyako Islands emerged



Miyako Islands are home to various native species of snake and lizards. How these species came to call these islands home has long puzzled scientists. A group of researchers have compiled the latest geological and biological data, proposing that an island once facilitated migration between Okinawa and Miyako Islands.
Published What can central Utah's earthquake 'swarms' reveal about the West's seismicity?



Much of central Utah's seismic activity comes in groups of small earthquakes. A study by seismologists examines 2,300 quakes occurring 40 'swarms' dating back to 1981, opening a window into Earth's crust in a geothermally active area.
Published Scientists develop AI-based tracking and early-warning system for viral pandemics



Machine-learning system effectively predicts emergence of prominent variants.
Published In Florida, endangered coral finds a way to blossom



In a new study, researchers have found that the restoration efforts of the critically endangered species elkhorn coral depend largely on the animal's location, microbiome, and the right conditions to provide an abundance of food.
Published Crawford Lake, Canada, chosen as the primary marker to identify the start of the Anthropocene epoch



An international team of researchers has chosen the location which best represents the beginnings of what could be a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Working Group have put forward Crawford Lake, in Canada, as a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene. A GSSP is an internationally agreed-upon reference point to show the start of a new geological period or epoch in layers of rock that have built up through the ages.
Published Scientists discover 36-million-year geological cycle that drives biodiversity



Movement in the Earth's tectonic plates indirectly triggers bursts of biodiversity in 36 million-year cycles by forcing sea levels to rise and fall, new research has shown.
Published Global cooling caused diversity of species in orchids, confirms study



Research shows global cooling of the climate 10 million years ago led to an explosion of diversity in terrestrial orchids.
Published Why the day is 24 hours long: Astrophysicists reveal why Earth's day was a constant 19.5 hours for over a billion years



Astrophysicists have revealed how the slow and steady lengthening of Earth's day caused by the tidal pull of the moon was halted for over a billion years. They show that from approximately two billion years ago until 600 million years ago, an atmospheric tide driven by the sun countered the effect of the moon, keeping Earth's rotational rate steady and the length of day at a constant 19.5 hours. Without this billion-year pause in the slowing of our planet's rotation, our current 24-hour day would stretch to over 60 hours. The paper offers a new perspective on how global warming will affect the length of our day and validates global circulation models as a climate modelling tool.
Published Earth's Inner Core: Earth's solid metal sphere is 'textured'



Scientists used seismic data discovered Earth's inner core displays a variety of textures that it acquired will it formed from within the fluid outer core. The data set was generated over the past 27 years by a network of seismometers set up to enforce the nuclear test ban treaty.
Published Water storage capacity in oceanic crust slabs increases with age, researchers find



An international research team has discovered that a subduction zone's age affects the ability for it to recycle water between the Earth's surface and its inner layers. The more mature the subduction zone, the bigger the water storage capacity.
Published Research reveals sources of CO2 from Aleutian-Alaska Arc volcanoes



Scientists have wondered what happens to the organic and inorganic carbon that Earth's Pacific Plate carries with it as it slides into the planet's interior along the volcano-studded Ring of Fire. A new study suggests a notable amount of such subducted carbon returns to the atmosphere rather than traveling deep into Earth's mantle.
Published Climate change will increase impacts of volcanic eruptions



Volcanic disasters have been studied since Pompeii was buried in 79 A.D., leading the public to believe that scientists already know why, where, when and how long volcanoes will erupt. But a volcanologist said these fundamental questions remain a mystery.
Published Researchers unearth the mysteries of how Turkey's East Anatolian fault formed



An international team has, for the first time, accurately determined the age of the East Anatolian fault, allowing geologists to learn more about its seismic history and tendency to produce earthquakes.
Published What are the characteristics of foreshocks for large earthquakes?



Seismologists agree that foreshocks are the most widely identified signal of an upcoming mainshock earthquake. But do these foreshock sequences have distinctive characteristics that separate them from aftershock sequences, and could these characteristics be used to help forecast mainshocks?
Published Genetic secrets of America's favorite snack



In its simplest form, popcorn is pretty uncomplicated. Most supermarket varieties offer the choice of two kernel colors, yellow or white, and two kernel shapes, pointed or pearl. When popped, the flake typically expands into one of two shapes: mushroom or butterfly. But there's more to popcorn than meets the eye. New research reveals a wealth of untapped diversity lurking in popcorn's genetic code.
Published Orangutans can make two sounds at the same time, similar to human beatboxing, study finds



Orangutans can make two separate sounds simultaneously, much like songbirds or human beatboxers, according to a new study.
Published Humans' ancestors survived the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs



A Cretaceous origin for placental mammals, the group that includes humans, dogs and bats, has been revealed by in-depth analysis of the fossil record, showing they co-existed with dinosaurs for a short time before the dinosaurs went extinct.