Life
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Ecosystems
Sperm whales may team up to herd prey
Data recorders yield first hints of coordinated feeding behavior.
By Sid Perkins -
Life
Bacterial neighbors get mean
Strains of the same species growing just meters apart can do a lot of damage to each other — and to themselves.
By Susan Milius -
Health & Medicine
Possible prostate cancer culprit
Scientists identify a type of stem cell and a gene that play a role in the disease.
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Health & Medicine
Dolphins may offer clues to treating diabetes
Insulin-resistance switch helps maintain glucose levels in dolphin brains, suggesting possible clues to treating diabetes in people.
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Health & Medicine
Tumor tracking gets personal
A new method has the potential to use genome science to improve cancer care.
By Eva Emerson -
Humans
Decoding diversity in Bushmen
Decoding the genetic makeup of tribal leaders and Archbishop Desmond Tutu uncovers rich genetic diversity in southern Africans.
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Life
Human noise may distract animals
When boats roar, hermit crabs slip up and let predators get extra close
By Susan Milius -
Paleontology
Sail-backed dinos had semiaquatic lifestyle
Isotopic analyses of fossils suggest the carnivores had crocodile-like habits.
By Sid Perkins -
Life
Sperm’s pore propulsion
Scientists identify a key proton channel that helps explain the dash to fertilization.
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Health & Medicine
Protein clumps like a prion, but proves crucial for long-term memory
Study in slugs hints that some molecular 'misbehavior' in neurons may help solidify learning.
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Earth
Oldest feathered dino shows its colors
Analysis of a fossil suggests plumage first evolved for display, not flight.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Florida’s big chill may have hammered corals near shore
January cold snap caused rare wintertime coral bleaching and die-offs for Florida’s coral reefs.
By Susan Milius