Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Fruit fly study could lead to pain control
ATHENS, Ga., May 13 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered why maturing fruit flies switch from voracious eating to the avoidance of food.
Study discovers how body size is regulated
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 13 (UPI) -- A German-U.S. study has discovered 10 new genes related to human growth in a finding scientists say might explain why people distinctly...
Fruit fly aging gene is identified
OXFORD, England, May 13 (UPI) -- British scientists say they've found a gene in fruit flies that allows a fast and effective way to investigate important aspects of...
Antibiotic cuts neuronal brain cell death
RICHMOND, Va., May 13 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists say they have determined how an antibiotic is able to reduce neuronal cell death in the brain.
Frog found to emit ultrasonic sounds
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., May 13 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say female concave-eared frogs draw mates with ultrasonic calls -- an ability shared only with bats, dolphins, whales and some...
Genetic sleuths unmask secrets of big tomatoes
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The secret behind growing large tomatoes lies not in the fertilizer or the perfect soil conditions, but in just a few genetic changes that over time have...
Worms Triple Sperm Transfer When Paternity Is At Risk
Scientists used to think that hermaphrodites, due to their low position in the evolutionary scale, did not have sufficiently developed sensory systems to assess the "quality" of their mates. A...
Coyotes threaten endangered tortoises
BARSTOW, Calif., May 11 (UPI) -- Hundreds of tortoises protected under state and federal endangered species law are being threatened by California's coyote population, scientists say.
Scientists replicate lost tropical species
PORTSMOUTH, England, May 11 (UPI) -- The appearances of dozens of extinct species of animals that lived alongside the dodo on several Indian Ocean islands have been replicated,...
A new gene trigger for pregnancy disorder identified
The COMT gene - known already for its role in schizophrenia - has been found to play a role in preeclampsia, according to a report in today`s advance...
Slow, steady -- and under siege
Endangered tortoises airlifted from an Army base face other threats. ...
Pro-life MPs threaten access to IVF
Bill amendment could force clinics to bar women who cannot 'name father'
Endangered Species Up The Risk Of Extinction For Other Species In Ecological Community
An endangered species of flora or fauna ups the risk of the extinction of the other species in its ecological community. Trophically unique species are more vulnerable for cascading extinction,...
Chromosome 'Lassoing': A New Key Mechanism In Cell Division
Scientists have revealed the function of a protein that is indispensable for passing on an accurate copy of the genome from mother to daughter cells. This study opens up new...
Weddings boost Shark's fin consumption in Singapore: report
Shark's fin consumption more than doubled in Singapore last year from 2006, with demand driven by an economic boom and an increase in wedding celebrations, a report said Saturday.
California limits salmon fishing
SACRAMENTO, May 10 (UPI) -- California officials said salmon fishing in the Central Valley will be limited this year to a small stretch of the Sacramento River.
Information on ketogenic, Atkins diets
The standard ketogenic diet, a dietary approach for managing medication-resistant epilepsy, calls for a 4-1 or 3-1 ratio of fat to protein and carbohydrates. Why this diet works in controlling...
VIDEO: Chimp Memory Beats Humans'
Watch young chimpanzees beat Japanese college students in a short-term-memory test by a wide margin—raising questions about primate intelligence and evolution.
How body size is regulated
This meta-analysis, published in the latest issue of Nature Genetics, is based on data from more than 26,000 study participants. It verifies two already known genes, but also discovered ten...
Edible Antifreeze
Edible Antifreeze: Photo by iStock/Getty/iStockPutting food back in the freezer after it thaws causes ice crystals to grow, imparting the unwelcome crunchy texture and mildew-like taste of freezer burn....
Don't turn your nose up at mouse urine
Urinary proteins are key to ultra-sensitive artificial noses.
News Bytes of the Week--Could Coastal Trees Have Saved Lives in Myanmar? [News]
Felled mangrove trees may have doomed the coast of Myanmar [More]
Designer Genes - Drew Endy uses DNA to make new and improved versions of life
When Drew Endy envisions the future, he sees giant gourds engineered to grow into four-bedroom, two-bathroom houses. He sees people alerted to nascent tumors in their bodies by internal biological...
Ivory Coast seeks $1 mln for three-headed coconut tree
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Researchers in Ivory Coast are asking $1 million for a three-headed hybrid coconut tree they believe could substantially boost the tropical nut's yield.
Elusive protein protects malaria parasite from heme
Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have identified Heme Detoxification Protein, a unique protein encoded in the malaria genome that represents a potential target for developing new...
Captive breeding to save Kashmir's rare red deer
Kashmir's endangered red deer faces extinction without a captive breeding programme that will start this summer in the scenic Himalayan region, Indian wildlife officials said Friday.
Cats can help male mice get ladies
Cat odor is known scare mice away, but it also seems to act like an aphrodisiac for the rodents, a new study shows.
'Early birds' adapt to climate change
Individual birds can adjust their behaviour to take climate change in their stride, according to a study by scientists from the University of Oxford.