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Yearly Archives: 2020
Study finds clues to aging in ‘junk’ DNA
For decades, greater than 60% of the human genome was believed to be "junk DNA" that served little or no purpose in the course...
Zebra stripes and their role in dazzling flies
The mystery of why zebras have their characteristic stripes has perplexed researchers for over a century.
Over the last decade, Professor Tim Caro at the...
First genome comparison gives insight into penguin origins, evolution
From the four-foot-tall emperor penguin to the aptly named foot-long little penguin, these unique flightless birds have invaded habitats from Antarctica to the equator,...
Desire to be in a group leads to harsher judgment of others: study
If you're reluctant to identify as a Democrat or Republican even though you are staunchly liberal or conservative, you're probably also less prone to...
Study reveals how two sex chromosomes communicate during female embryo development
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have solved a mystery that has long puzzled scientists: How do the bodies of female humans and all...
North American cold-climate forests are already absorbing less carbon, study shows
Trees are one of humans' biggest allies in the fight against climate change, soaking up around 30% of the carbon we pump into the...
Findings refute idea of monarchs’ migration mortality as major cause of population decline
In a new study, Monarch Watch Director Chip Taylor and colleagues have shown that speculation regarding the declining monarch population, despite having received much...
The tropics are expanding, and climate change is the primary culprit
Earth's tropics are expanding poleward and that expansion is driven by human-caused changes to the ocean, according to new research.
The tropics wrap around Earth's...
Using a public restroom? Mask up!
Think you don't need to worry about COVID-19 while using a public restroom? A group of researchers from Yangzhou University in China recently reported...
Bird skull evolution slowed after the extinction of the dinosaurs
From emus to woodpeckers, modern birds show remarkable diversity in skull shape and size, often hypothesized to be the result of a sudden hastening...
Exploding stars may have caused mass extinction on Earth, study shows
Imagine reading by the light of an exploded star, brighter than a full moon—it might be fun to think about, but this scene is...
