A joint research group has demonstrated that the majority of immigration to the Japanese Archipelago in the Yayoi and Kofun periods (between 3000 BCE and 538 CE) came from the Korean Peninsula. The researchers analyzed the complete genome of a 'Yayoi' individual and found that, among the non-Japanese populations, the...
Dance, gibbon, dance!
Female crested gibbons display jerky, almost geometric patterns of movement. Researchers have studied these conspicuous movements, which are comparable to human dances. They describe the structure of the dances, their rhythm and the contexts in which the dances occur.
How did the building blocks of life arrive on Earth?
Researchers have used the chemical fingerprints of zinc contained in meteorites to determine the origin of volatile elements on Earth. The results suggest that without 'unmelted' asteroids, there may not have been enough of these compounds on Earth for life to emerge.
Genomic study identifies human, animal hair in ‘man-eater’ lions’ teeth
Scientists analyzed hairs extracted from the broken teeth of two 19th century 'man-eater' lions. Their analysis revealed DNA from giraffe, human, oryx, waterbuck, wildebeest and zebra as prey, along with hairs that originated from the lions.
Scientists cut harmful pollution from hydrogen engines
Scientists have discovered a low-cost method to significantly reduce this pollution from hydrogen internal combustion engines by improving the efficiency of their catalytic converters. The researchers found that infusing platinum in catalytic converters with a highly porous material called Y zeolites greatly enhances the reactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrogen,...
How a bunch of seemingly disorganized cells go on to form a robust embryo
Embryo development starts when a single egg cell is fertilized and starts dividing continuously. Initially a chaotic cluster, it gradually evolves into a highly organized structure. Scientists have now provided new insights into the process, emphasizing the critical role of both chaos and order.
Loss of lake ice has wide-ranging environmental and societal consequences
The world's freshwater lakes are freezing over for shorter periods of time due to climate change. This shift has major implications for human safety, as well as water quality, biodiversity, and global nutrient cycles.
It could take over 40 years for PFAS to leave groundwater
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater.
In studying the mating rituals of fruit flies, scientists may have learned something about how brains evolve
Researchers have identified how the architecture of brain circuits helps different species flexibly adapt to new mating signals across evolutionary timeframes.
Viruses are teeming on your toothbrush, showerhead
Microbiologists found that showerheads and toothbrushes are teeming with an extremely diverse collection of viruses -- most of which have never been seen before.