Earth
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Life
Camel ancestors lived in the Arctic
Fossils on Ellesmere Island suggest famous desert dweller got its start in cold regions.
By Erin Wayman -
Animals
Native pollinators boost crop yields worldwide
Farms with crops from coffee to mangoes don’t get the best yields if they rely solely on honeybees.
By Susan Milius -
Life
Impact craters may have been a toasty home for early life
The heat generated during a cosmic crash could have nurtured ancient organisms.
By Erin Wayman -
Earth
Nutrients matter in tropical forests
Soil nutrients and rainfall predict tree species range in Panama’s tropical forests.
By Meghan Rosen -
Earth
Moderate climate warming could melt permafrost
Ancient cave formations in Siberia reveal effects of warmer past on frozen ground.
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Earth
Intensive care linked to BPA exposure in newborns
High levels of pollutant BPA occur in sickest babies, study finds.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Blood levels of BPA become source of controversy
New data question whether human blood measurements of BPA reflect sample contamination or just exaggerated exposures.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Aquatic predators affect carbon-storing plant life
Freshwater predator species can prevent the overgrazing of plants that suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
By Janet Raloff -
Life
Melting Arctic may make algae flourish
More sunlight penetrates thinning Arctic sea ice, enabling algal growth.
By Erin Wayman -
Life
Antianxiety drugs affect fish, too
Perch swim more and eat faster when exposed to concentrations of an antianxiety medication found in rivers.
By Erin Wayman -
Life
Diversity breeds disease resistance in frogs
Species-rich amphibian communities prove better at fending off limb-deforming parasitic infections.
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Life
Ancestors of today’s placental mammals may never have shared the Earth with dinosaurs
A newly constructed family tree dovetails with the fossil record, but differs considerably from previous genetic studies by suggesting that placental mammals emerged after the dinosaur extinction.
By Erin Wayman