Life

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We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Animals

    Gut microbes may put barrier between species

    Wiping out gut bacteria in wasps saves crossbred offspring from death, suggesting that microbes may play a role in speciation.

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  2. Animals

    Honeybees use right antennae to tell friend from foe

    Asymmetry in sense of smell alters insects' behavior in lab tests.

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  3. Genetics

    Chromothripsis

    Chromothripsis is the catastrophic shattering of a chromosome.

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  4. Life

    Billion-Dollar Fish

    The Untold Story of Alaska Pollock by Kevin M. Bailey.

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  5. Animals

    Cicadas’ odd life cycle poses evolutionary conundrums

    Scientists are getting an idea about the odd family tree of periodical cicadas, how the insects synchronize their life cycles and why they breed side-by-side with others unsuitable for mating.

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  6. Life

    Genes in wheat relatives help stave off stem rust

    Wild and obscure species provide resistance to deadly fungus.

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  7. Life

    Ancient horse’s DNA fills in picture of equine evolution

    An entire genome compiled from a 700,000-year-old bone yields new information about equine history.

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  8. Animals

    Lemurs’ group size predicts social intelligence

    Primates that live with many others know not to steal food when someone is watching.

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  9. Animals

    Elephant diets changed millions of years before their teeth

    The animals fed on grasses long before their molars could grind the tough plants.

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  10. Life

    Brain cell insulators are short-timers

    Limited myelin production time may make it harder to repair nerve casings damaged by multiple sclerosis.

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  11. Life

    Cabbage circadian clocks tick even after picking

    Daily cycles in vegetables help ward off hungry caterpillars.

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  12. Life

    On the trail of a new virus

    Map of MERS infection finds microbe spread through hospital dialysis units.

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