Life
- Animals
Face Smarts
Macaques, sheep and even wasps may join people as masters at facial recognition.
By Susan Milius - Humans
Africans’ genes mute on human birthplace
Latest DNA studies confirm previous research on the prehistory of African groups, but still can’t locate the root of the species.
By Erin Wayman - Math
Bumblebees navigate new turf without a map
The insects can quickly calculate the best route between flowers.
- Life
E. coli caught in the act of evolving
Researchers track thousands of bacterial generations to document the development of a trait nearly 25 years in the making.
- Life
DNA tags may dictate bee behavior
Chemical alterations affect genetic activity but not the genes themselves.
- Life
Flash leads to flex in lab-grown muscle
Light-activated artificial tissue inspires dream of squirming wormbots.
By Meghan Rosen - Neuroscience
Copycat mentality may be a hardwired way for animals to learn to avoid others’ mistakes
Copycat mentality may be a hardwired way for animals to learn to avoid others’ mistakes.
- Life
Killer whale mama’s boys live longer
Survival benefits may explain females’ extended life span following menopause.
By Susan Milius - Life
Stem cells may help in treating deafness
A new method triggers the development of sound-sensitive neurons in the inner ear.
- Life
Wild snakes reproduce without sex
Virgin births are not just a by-product of captivity.
By Susan Milius - Life
New swine flu virus could infect people
Strains found in Korean pigs contain gene mutations that make them potentially transmissible to humans.
- Life
International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park, Md., August 5–10
Dung beetle gaits and the whine of a mosquito's flight
By Susan Milius