News
- Paleontology
Ancient microbe fossils show earliest evidence of shell making
Armor-plated, 809-million-year-old fossilized microbes discovered in Canada are the oldest known evidence of shell making.
- Animals
New case emerging for Culex mosquito as unexpected Zika spreader
The much-debated proposal that a Culex mosquito could help spread Zika gets some international support.
- Planetary Science
Mercury’s surface still changing
A population of small cliffs on Mercury suggests that the planet might have been tectonically active in the last 50 million years.
- Archaeology
Ancient Maya codex not fake, new analysis claims
New report suggests an ancient Maya text — the bark-paper Grolier Codex — could be the oldest known document in Americas.
- Health & Medicine
Sugar industry sought to sugarcoat causes of heart disease
Sugar industry has long, sweet history of influencing science.
- Earth
Nuclear blasts, other human activity signal new epoch, group argues
A group of scientists will formally propose the human-defined Anthropocene as a new epoch in Earth’s geologic history within a few years, probably pegging the start date to nuclear tests.
- Genetics
New era of human embryo gene editing begins
Gene editing of viable human embryos is happening, in and out of the public eye.
- Plants
Narrowed plumbing lets flower survive summer cold snaps
Ice barriers help alpine plants save their flowers during summer cold snaps.
- Genetics
Endurance training leaves no memory in muscles
Unlike strength training, endurance workouts left no genetic trace months later, calling into question idea of a general muscle memory.
- Earth
Natural ally against global warming not as strong as thought
Soils may take in far less carbon by the end of the century than previously predicted, exacerbating climate change.
- Genetics
Single exodus from Africa gave rise to today’s non-Africans
Genetics and climate studies differ on when modern humans left Africa.
- Ecosystems
Shrinking sea ice threatens natural highways for caribou, plants
As Arctic sea ice declines, Peary caribou or plants risk getting stranded when their frozen highways thaw.
