Life
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Animals
Live fast, die young
With a lifespan of just five months, the chameleon Furcifer labordi leads a briefer life than any other land-dwelling vertebrate.
By Amy Maxmen -
Math
Optimizing leafy networks
Scientists reveal a mathematical principle underlying the arrangement of leaf veins in plant species.
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Animals
Whaling, to be announced
The 60th meeting of the International Whaling Commission defers voting on deadlocked issues
By Susan Milius -
Ecosystems
Ecosystem engineers
Nonnative earthworms are deliberately burying ragweed seeds, enhancing the weed’s growth, researchers report.
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Chemistry
Quantifying the “gene for” fallacy
Looking at one gene at a time misses about a third of the genes that contribute to the way a cell functions, scientists say.
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Life
Viruses rewritten
Scientists could create wimpy versions of real viruses to develop vaccines for emerging diseases.
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Life
Losing sleep
A genetic source of mental retardation and autism may also disrupt sleep patterns.
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Agriculture
Bee-Loved Plantings
Zipcode-organized guidelines tell gardeners, farmers and others how to design a landscape that will not only entice pollinators but also keep these horticultural helpers happy.
By Janet Raloff -
Life
Fossil helps document shift from sea to land
New fossils of an ancient, four-limbed creature help fill in the blanks of the evolutionary transition between fish and the first land-adapted vertebrates.
By Sid Perkins -
Plants
Move it or lose it
Climate change may have dire consequences for California’s native plants, which may need to take refuge in some the areas under pressure for development.
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Animals
Don’t blame the guys
Scientists take a new look at what drives female damselflies to look like males.
By Susan Milius -
Health & Medicine
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Epigenetic shifts continue throughout a person’s lifetime, and the overall pattern of these shifts appears similar within families.