Researchers at Mass General Brigham and Karolinska Institutet have identified a new method to predict asthma exacerbations with a high degree of accuracy.
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The overlooked survival strategy that made us human
Long before humans became master hunters, our ancestors were already thriving by making the most of what nature left behind. New research suggests that scavenging animal carcasses wasn’t a desperate last resort, but a smart, reliable survival strategy that shaped human evolution. Carrion provided calorie-rich food with far less effort...
A 250-million-year-old fossil reveals the origins of mammal hearing
Sensitive hearing may have evolved in mammal ancestors far earlier than scientists once believed. By modeling how sound moved through the skull of Thrinaxodon, a 250-million-year-old mammal predecessor, researchers found it likely used an early eardrum to hear airborne sounds. This challenges the long-held idea that these animals mainly “listened”...
Nitrogen Is Key to Faster Regrowth in Deforested Areas, Say Researchers
Tropical forests can recover twice as quickly after deforestation if they have adequate soil nitrogen, according to new research published today.
Tiny Earthquakes Reveal Hidden Faults Under Northern California
By tracking swarms of very small earthquakes, seismologists are getting a new picture of the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, an area that could give rise to devastating major earthquakes.
A Once-In-A-Generation Discovery Is Transforming a Michigan Dairy Farm
At first glance, the 400 acres of soybeans growing on the Preston family’s dairy farm in southern Michigan looks like a typical field. But these aren’t ordinary soybeans.
How the frog meat trade helped spread a deadly fungus worldwide
A deadly fungus that has wiped out hundreds of amphibian species worldwide may have started its global journey in Brazil. Genetic evidence and trade data suggest the fungus hitchhiked across the world via international frog meat markets. The findings raise urgent concerns about how wildlife trade can spread hidden biological...
Scientists trace fertilizer microplastics from fields to beaches
Plastic-coated fertilizers used on farms are emerging as a major but hidden source of ocean microplastics. A new study found that only a tiny fraction reaches beaches through rivers, while direct drainage from fields to the sea sends far more plastic back onto shore. Once there, waves and tides briefly...
Scientists sent viruses to space and they evolved in surprising ways
When scientists sent bacteria-infecting viruses to the International Space Station, the microbes did not behave the same way they do on Earth. In microgravity, infections still occurred, but both viruses and bacteria evolved differently over time. Genetic changes emerged that altered how viruses attach to bacteria and how bacteria defend...
Tiny earthquakes are revealing a dangerous secret beneath California
Scientists are uncovering a hidden and surprisingly complex earthquake zone beneath Northern California by tracking swarms of tiny earthquakes that are far too weak to feel. These faint tremors are revealing what lies beneath the surface where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, one of the most...