Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Paleontology
New fossils shake up history of amphibians with no legs
The oldest near-relative of today’s snake-shaped caecilians could have an unexpected backstory.
- Paleontology
Ancient attack marks show ocean predators got scarier
Killer snails and other ocean predators that drill through shells have grown bigger over evolutionary time.
- Animals
Facial recognition changes a wasp’s brain
A new study maps genes at play in a paper wasp’s brain during facial recognition.
- Life
How bearded dragons switch their sex
RNA editing might affect reptile sex determination at temperature extremes.
- Health & Medicine
New heart attack treatment uses photosynthetic bacteria to make oxygen
Photosynthetic bacteria can produce oxygen to keep rat heart muscles healthy after a heart attack.
- Climate
Readers question climate’s freshwater effects
Warming lakes, windmills for the Arctic, mosquito control and more in reader feedback.
- Life
Ancient DNA shakes up the elephant family tree
DNA from straight-tusked elephant fossils is forcing scientists to reconsider the history of elephant evolution.
- Life
Ladybugs fold their wings like origami masters
Ladybug wings could lead to new foldable technologies.
- Health & Medicine
Live antibiotics use bacteria to kill bacteria
Certain bacteria will destroy other bacteria without harming humans. They may be an answer to antibiotic-resistant infections.
- Paleontology
New dinosaur resurrects a demon from Ghostbusters
The most complete skeleton of an ankylosaur shows an armored, club-tailed dinosaur with a head like a Ghostbusters demon.
- Health & Medicine
Therapy flags DNA typos to rev cancer-fighting T cells
Genetic tests help identify cancer patients who will benefit from immune therapy.
- Paleontology
Primitive whales had mediocre hearing
Fossils suggest that early whale hearing was run-of-the-mill, along the same line as that of land mammals.
