Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Dung beetles steer by the Milky Way
The insects orient themselves using starlight, researchers find in planetarium experiments.
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- Humans
H5N1 influenza research moratorium ends
Scientists lift self-imposed moratorium on research that would make avian flu transmissible among humans.
- Life
Starchy diet may have transformed wolves to dogs
Gaining the ability to digest carbohydrates may have been an important step in domesticating dogs.
- Tech
DNA stores poems, a photo and a speech
The molecule swaps its biological role for a computational one, that of long-term data storage.
- Humans
Ancient human DNA suggests minimal interbreeding
Genetic analysis indicates Stone Age people mated infrequently with Neandertals and other close relatives.
- Animals
Finally, the truth about barnacle sex is revealed
A genetic analysis shows that the sessile crustaceans can broadcast sperm in water, contrary to previous assumptions.
- Life
Genes tied to body mass set point
Genes may help determine why some mice (and perhaps people) become obese when eating a sugar- and fat-laden diet.
- Animals
Integrative and Comparative Biology
The hormonal roller coaster that is male pipefish pregancy and collision safety features for flying insects.
- Life
Genes indicate Stone Age link between India and Australia
Genetic evidence suggests some people migrated from India to Australia roughly 4,300 years ago.
- Animals
Claims of fairness in apes have critics crying foul
A report that chimps divvy up rewards much as people do draws criticism.
- Life
Reprieve for reprogrammed stem cells
A study published in 2011 in Nature found that stem cells produced by reprogramming mouse skin cells get attacked when transplanted back into mice.
