Earth
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Earth
Darwinopterus points to chunky evolution
A newly discovered pterosaur had the legs of its ancestors and the head of its descendants.
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Earth
BPA in the womb shows link to kids’ behavior
Subtle gender-linked effects seen in youngsters mirror impacts witnessed earlier in rodents.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & Medicine
Excreted Tamiflu found in rivers
A Japanese study finds that excreted Tamiflu ends up in river water, raising concerns that birds hosting a flu virus will develop drug-resistant strains.
By Janet Raloff -
Chemistry
Earth’s ‘boring billion’ years blamed on sulfur-loving microbes
A new study suggests these organisms could have kept oxygen levels low and waters toxic, stalling the evolution of complex life.
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Humans
Schools need to test water, report results
Survey of EPA database turn up widespread problems, which may be only the tip of the iceberg.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Protected whales found in Japan’s supermarkets
Toothless Asian whales find themselves being protected by fairly toothless regulations.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Cell phones: Precautions recommended
Scientists make a case for texting and using hand-free technologies with those cell phones to which society has become addicted.
By Janet Raloff -
Animals
Ants in the pants drive away birds
Yellow crazy ants can get so annoying that birds don’t eat their normal fruits, a new study finds.
By Susan Milius -
Health & Medicine
Cell phones: Feds probing health impacts
Senate hearing finds that biomedical research agencies aren't complacent about potential health effects of cell-phone radiation.
By Janet Raloff -
Ecosystems
As climate shifts, birds follow
Most of the birds in California’s Sierra Nevada range are on the move in response to recent climate changes.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
A hurricane-spawned tornado boom
Cyclones striking the Gulf Coast in recent years have spawned more twisters that those that hit the region in the mid-20th century.
By Sid Perkins -
Agriculture
Potato famine pathogen packs unusual, sneaky genome
DNA of infamous Phytophthora microbe reveals big, quick-changing zones, possibly the key to the pathogen’s vexing adaptability
By Susan Milius