Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Genetics
Male zebrafish sex tool stops fin regeneration
Tiny, spiked structures on the pectoral fins of male zebrafish help them hold females steady while mating. However, the structures produce a protein that seems to hinder the fish’s ability to regenerate fins.
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- Anthropology
Ancient farmers, foragers kept genes to themselves
Ancient DNA and diet clues suggest how farmers and hunter-gathers contributed to modern Europeans’ genetic profiles.
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- Animals
Hibernating turtles don’t slip into a coma
Winterized red-eared sliders shut down their lungs but spring into action when they see light.
- Health & Medicine
‘Decoding Annie Parker’ portrays hunt for breast cancer genes
Not long ago, most doctors scoffed at the idea of a “cancer gene,” as the new film shows.
- Animals
Legless geckos slither using skin ridges
The animal's belly has flat rows of ripples that may help them wriggle.
- Animals
Alpine swifts fly nonstop for more than six months
During a journey of 200 days, the birds eat, rest and migrate without touching the ground.
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- Life
3-D printing builds bacterial metropolises
By simulating biofilms, new 3-D printing technique may help researchers study antibiotic resistance.
- Neuroscience
Brainy videos
A short film that uses humor and science to explain congenital anosmia has won the Society for Neuroscience’s 2013 Brain Awareness Video Contest.
