Life
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We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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 - Chemistry
Too-young caterpillars like scent of sex
Larvae respond to mate-attracting pheromones, raising evolutionary questions about what a very grown-up chemical signal could mean to them.
By Susan Milius - Life
Team releases sequel to the human genome
ENCODE reveals the machinery that switches genes on and off.
- Humans
DNA unveils enigmatic Denisovans
Technical advances amplify the genetic record of a Stone Age humanlike population, ancestors of modern Melanesians.
By Bruce Bower - Life
Oldest mites in amber discovered
Two new species of arthropods found in 230-million-year-old fossilized resin show similarities to modern-day species.
By Meghan Rosen - Life
Average bear could be pretty smart
Computer tests of solitary species reveal animals’ ability to learn concepts.
By Susan Milius - Life
Kick in the gut may lead to IBD
Short-term infection could create conditions for long-term intestinal illness, a study suggests.
By Nathan Seppa - Life
Antibiotics linked to fat buildup
Research in mice implicates changes in gut microbe mix; study in infants finds excess weight gain after use of the drugs.
- Humans
Gene may boost effects of peer pressure
DNA trait linked to tendency to be affected by high or low levels of alcohol and cigarette use in high school.
By Bruce Bower - Life
Unusual virus may tie snakes in knots
Captive snakes with a fatal disease harbor viruses never before seen in reptiles.