Using high quality molecular data, researchers have re-investigated a long-standing question about the position of two phyla of small aquatic invertebrates -- Kamptozoa and Bryozoa -- on the evolutionary tree.
How placentas evolved in mammals
The fossil record tells us about ancient life through the preserved remains of body parts like bones, teeth and turtle shells. But how to study the history of soft tissues and organs, which can decay quickly, leaving little evidence behind? In a new study, scientists use gene expression patterns, called...
Rare wild ancestors of feral pigeons found living on British and Irish islands
DNA testing reveals that the wild ancestors of the common domestic and feral pigeons, now extinct in many parts of the world, are still living on islands in Scotland and Ireland.
Crushed, zapped, boiled, baked and more: Nature used 57 recipes to create Earth’s 10,500-plus ‘mineral kinds’
A 15-year study details the origins and diversity of every known mineral on Earth, a landmark body of work that will help reconstruct the history of life on Earth, guide the search for new minerals and ore deposits, predict possible characteristics of future life, and aid the search for habitable...
Research reveals structure of a human endogenous reverse transcriptase
The crystal structure of a human endogenous reverse transcriptase has similarities to HIV reverse transcriptase, a well-known tractable drug target, which will help design drugs to treat cancer and other diseases, according to a study co-authored by a Rutgers researcher.
Bacteria for blastoff: Using microbes to make supercharged new rocket fuel
Biofuel scientists used an oddball molecule made by bacteria to develop a new class of sustainable biofuels powerful enough to launch rockets. The candidate molecules have greater projected energy density than any petroleum product, including the leading aviation and rocket fuels, JetA and RP-1.
Hidden in Caves: Mineral Overgrowths Reveal Unprecedented Modern Sea-Level Rise
The early 1900s were an exciting time across the world, with rapid advances in the steel, electric and automobile industries.
NASA Aircraft Conducting Atmospheric Studies Over DC to Baltimore
A NASA aircraft will fly over the I-95 corridor from Washington to Baltimore and Hampton, Virginia, in support of an atmospheric campaign in the mid-Atlantic region between July 5 and 16, 2022.
Powerful Tonga Volcano Eruption Triggered Atmospheric Gravity Waves Reaching the Edge of Space
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai submarine volcano on 15 January 2022 was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era, a new study has confirmed.
Scientists engineer synthetic DNA to study ‘architect’ genes
Researchers have created artificial Hox genes -- which plan and direct where cells go to develop tissues or organs -- using new synthetic DNA technology and genomic engineering in stem cells. Their findings confirm how clusters of Hox genes help cells to learn and remember where they are in the...