Life

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We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Life

    Old gene, short new trick

    A single genetic modification is linked to the stature of short-legged dog breeds, new research shows.

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  2. Earth

    Bird deaths blamed on vitamin deficiency

    Shortage of thiamine may have been killing birds in the Baltic and possibly elsewhere for some 25 years.

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  3. Physics

    Pseudo pores help fling spores

    New studies reveal that a thick, soft plant expels its progeny in an unexpected way.

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  4. Animals

    Turtles make sense after all

    The odd bodies of turtles add a wrinkle to standard land-dwelling vertebrates.

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  5. Life

    Collins nominated to head NIH

    The chemist — turned physician, turned geneticist — has a spiritual side as well.

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  6. Animals

    Megafish Sleuth: No Steve Irwin

    There's no reason a scientist can't be an action hero — even if his damsels in distress have fins.

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  7. Earth

    Monster stingrays: Field notes from a global wrangler

    A megafish biologist shares what he's learning about a rare freshwater species.

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  8. Life

    Hornets suffocate in bee ball

    Researchers find a spike in carbon dioxide, along with an increase in heat, makes honeybees' enemies vulnerable.

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  9. Life

    Climate change shrinks sheep

    Milder winters help small, weak lambs survive but more competition for food slows growth.

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  10. Life

    New drug hits leukemia early

    An experimental drug may stop a deadly leukemia in its early stages, a study of mice shows.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Schizophrenia risk gets more complex

    Three studies find that large collections of variants, rather than just a few key mutations, probably predispose someone to schizophrenia.

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  12. Life

    Salamanders don’t regrow limbs from scratch

    A closer look at regeneration in axolotl amputees shows that tissue replacement relies on cellular “memory.”

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