A new study asks: What are the unique chemical and geological processes at Aix-en-Provence that preserve spiders from the Oligocene Period so exquisitely?
Humans disrupting 66 million-year-old feature of ecosystems
Human-related extinctions of the largest herbivores and carnivores are disrupting what appears to be a fundamental feature of past and present ecosystems, says a new study.
Earliest geochemical evidence of plate tectonics found in 3.8-billion-year-old crystal
Plate tectonics may be unique to Earth and may be an essential characteristic of habitable planets. Estimates for its onset range from over 4 billion years ago to just 800 million years ago. A new study reports evidence of a transition in multiple locations around the world, 3.8-3.6 billion years...
New bird app spreads its wings
Researchers have helped design an app to protect birds at risk of extinction across the world by breaking down language barriers between scientists.
Researchers detect coronavirus particles with ‘slow light’
Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists have developed a novel biosensing platform to detect and quantify viral particles using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their versatile approach, based on slowing down light, could pave the way to new...
Lab grown, self-sustainable muscle cells repair muscle injury and disease, mouse study shows
In proof-of-concept experiments, scientists say they have successfully cultivated human muscle stem cells capable of renewing themselves and repairing muscle tissue damage in mice, potentially advancing efforts to treat muscle injuries and muscle-wasting disorders in people.
Study challenges theories of earlier human arrival in Americas
The new analysis suggests that misinterpretation of archaeological evidence at certain sites in North and South America might be responsible for theories that humans arrived long before 13,000-14,200 years ago.
Got food cravings? What’s living in your gut may be responsible
New research on mice shows for the first time that the microbes in animals' guts influence what they choose to eat, making substances that prompt cravings for different kinds of foods.
Cannabis poisoning cases in pets have increased significantly, study finds
A survey of veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada highlights mounting cases of cannabis poisoning among pets and sheds new light on symptoms, treatments, and outcomes.
Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery
Palaeontologists have discovered remarkable new evidence that pterosaurs, the flying relatives of dinosaurs, were able to control the color of their feathers using melanin pigments.