Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Humans
U.S. probably began global fire ant spread
A genetic study shows that recent international invasions likely originated in the U.S. South, not the species’ native South American range.
- Life
Genes & Cells
Mouse fur yields insights into the genetics of camouflage, plus more in this week’s news.
- Chemistry
Mad cow-type diseases lie in wait
Prion infections build quickly in the brain then pause before killing, new research suggests.
- Life
Tobacco tricks caterpillars with treats
Larvae that eat tempting hairs on the plant's leaves make themselves more attractive to predators.
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- Tech
Physics of burrowing sandfish revealed
A new study shows how sandfish lizards swim through Saharan sands, a find that could inspire better burrowing tools for use in the aftermath of disasters.
- Life
Biologists go bats for storm-watch data
Borrowing meteorologists’ weather radar info may reveal new view of the ecology of flying animals.
- Microbes
Gulf floor fouled by bacterial oil feast
Observations may explain the widespread mortality of sediment-dwelling animals.
- Genetics
Some genes like it hot
Some regional DNA differences may be due to climate, global surveys suggest.
- Life
Genes & Cells
A study of the Amish reveals that sleep habits are inherited, plus more in this week’s news.
- Humans
Sweeps weak in human evolution
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the rapid spread of beneficial mutations has been relatively rare in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens, a new study shows.
- Life
Packing away the poison
A genetic adaptation in a Hudson River fish species allows it to simply store toxic pollutants in its fat.
