Pyroxenes are a major group of rock-forming minerals. Scientists investigated the iron ion status of a calcium-rich pyroxene, using Mössbauer spectroscopy on thin sections of single crystals. The study revealed that in pyroxene crystals consisting of roughly 50% calcium, the tensor that determines the ratios of iron ions at the...
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Insect pollination key for rare Wyoming sagebrush species
The Laramie chickensage is unusual among the hundreds of species of sagebrush, most of which are primarily pollinated by the wind.
Ostrich-like dinosaurs from Mississippi are among the world’s largest at over 800 kilograms
Ostrich-like dinosaurs called ornithomimosaurs grew to enormous sizes in ancient eastern North America, according to a new study.
Tardigrades: Microscopic creatures’ amazing durability
Researchers discovered how a sugar called trehalose works with proteins to allow tardigrades to survive a severe lack of water.
WWII Shipwreck Has Leaked Many Pollutants Into the Sea, Changing the Ocean Floor Around It
Researchers have discovered that an 80 year old historic World War II shipwreck is still influencing the microbiology and geochemistry of the ocean floor where it rests.
Beyond Humans – Mammal Combat in Extreme Environs
A new study from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Colorado State University, and the National Park Service indicates previously unknown high altitude contests between two of America’s most sensational mammals – mountain goats and bighorn sheep – over access to minerals previously unavailable due to the past presence of glaciers...
New research rewrites the evolutionary story of gills
Well before evolving to help vertebrates breathe underwater, gills played an early and equally important role regulating the salt and pH balance of blood, according to surprising new research.
Methane-eating ‘borgs’ have been assimilating earth’s microbes
In Star Trek, the Borg are a ruthless, hive-minded collective that assimilate other beings with the intent of taking over the galaxy. Here on nonfictional planet Earth, 'Borgs' are DNA packages that could help humans fight climate change.
Amber fossils from Myanmar
Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia, is plagued by political and economic crises. The fall of a president, a military putsch and the crackdown on religious minorities have had an impact not only on life but also on research in the country. One area of research that has been particularly...
Meet the first Neanderthal family
Researchers have managed to sequence multiple individuals from a remote Neanderthal community in Siberia. Among these thirteen individuals, the researchers identified multiple related individuals -- among these a father and his teenage daughter. The researchers were also able to use the thirteen genomes to provide a glimpse into the social...