Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
More than a chicken, fewer than a grape
A decade after the completion of the Human Genome Project, the exact number of human genes remains elusive.
- Life
New species a little nipper
A mongoose-like creature from Madagascar is the first new carnivore to be discovered in more than two decades.
- Life
Pterosaurs might have soared 10,000 miles nonstop
Flight analysis suggests ancient reptiles were record setters.
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- Life
One small step for a snail, one giant leap for snailkind
Experiments suggest that gastropods shed their shells in one fell swoop during the evolutionary transition that created slugs.
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- Life
The unusual suspects
With no obvious culprit in sight, geneticists do broader sweeps to identify autism’s causes.
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- Animals
A little climate change goes a long way in the tropics
In hot places, even minor warming could rev up metabolism in animals that don’t generate their own heat, a new analysis suggests.
- Life
Massive count a drop in the bucket
As the decade-long Census of Marine Life totes up thousands of new species, it leaves much yet to discover in the world’s oceans.
- Life
To researchers’ surprise, one Pseudomonas infection is much like the next
Consistent genetic changes in the lung bacteria that commonly plague cystic fibrosis patients are a welcome discovery because they may point to new treatment strategies.
- Life
A giant penguin plumed in earth tones
The first well-preserved feathers of 36-million-year-old diving bird give clues to color and evolution.
