'One species' idea finally put to bed?
Has the 'one species' human evolution idea been put to bed?
From the BBC News-2011-12-30:14:6:1
Green Blog: Unfit Salmon and 'Plain Old Darwinian Selection'
In just one generation, evolution can render captive salmon unable to perform well in the wild.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-21:14:6:1
Genes Play Major Role in Primate Social Behavior, Study Finds
Conclusions of an Oxford survey challenge some of the leading theories of social behavior.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-19:20:6:1
Rare fossils found in old quarry
Fossils said to be more than 450 million years old and of a kind never discovered before have been uncovered at a quarry in Powys.
From the BBC News-2011-12-19:8:5:1
Green Blog: Finding Nemo and His Fellow Travelers
One in every six families of marine species corresponding to characters in the animated film "Finding Nemo" is threatened with extinction, researchers say.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-13:14:6:1
Q & A: Q&A: Am I Sleeping Too Long?
Sleep duration varies widely and may be genetically determined, and 1 to 2 percent of people need at least 10 hours a day, said Dr. Ana C. Krieger of Weill Cornell Medical College.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-12:20:6:2
Observatory: Anomalocaris Fossil Reveals Eyes with 16,000 Lenses
Scientists have found an anomalocaris fossil with eyes that contained 16,000 hexagonal lenses each.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-12:20:6:1
Hemophilia B Gene Therapy Breakthrough
A single injection has helped six patients combat a blood-clotting disease found in one in 30,000 male births.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-10:20:6:1
Alberta horned dinosaur fossils named as new species
A team of international scientists have identified two dinosaur skulls found in Alberta almost a century ago as a previously unknown species.
From the CBC News-2011-12-8:14:6:2
Rare gene links vitamin D and MS
A rare genetic variant which causes reduced levels of vitamin D appears to be directly linked to multiple sclerosis, says an Oxford University study.
From the BBC News-2011-12-8:14:6:1
Canada's fossil-fuel powerplants rapped
Canada's fossil fuel-powered generating plants average higher greenhouse gas emissions for the same amount of electricity than American or Mexican stations, an a new report finds.
From the CBC News-2011-12-7:8:5:2
Paul Doty, 91, Biochemist and Arms Control Advocate, Dies
Dr. Doty was one of the scientists who worked out how to take apart and reassemble DNA, a discovery that became a foundation of modern molecular biology.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-7:8:5:1
Essay: Larry Smarr: An Evolution Toward a Programmable World
With a harvest of data from a wired planet, computing has evolved from sensing local information to analyzing it to being able to control it.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-5:20:6:1
Astronomers Find Biggest Black Holes Yet
Cosmologists have measured the biggest black holes ever found, work that could shed light on the formation and evolution of galaxies.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-5:14:6:1
Liking a lie-in 'in your genes'
Those who like a lie-in now have an excuse, as researchers reveal it is at least partly down to their genes.
From the BBC News-2011-12-5:8:5:1
Record Jump in Emissions in 2010, Study Finds
Global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel burning jumped by 5.9 percent, upending the notion that the brief decline during the recession might persist.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-4:14:6:1
Durban fossil award from the 'uninformed': Kent
Environment Minister Peter Kent still refuses to confirm reports Canada will withdraw from the Kyoto Accord, as the Harper government faces fresh criticism in Durban.
From the CBC News-2011-12-2:14:6:1
DNA Sequencing Caught in Deluge of Data
DNA sequencing is becoming faster and cheaper, outrunning the ability to store, transmit and analyze the data.
From the NYTimes News-2011-12-1:8:5:1
Calgary Zoo to help revive B.C. caribou herd
Parks Canada and the Calgary Zoo are teaming up in hopes of saving southern mountain caribou herds from the threat of extinction.
From the CBC News-2011-11-29:20:6:1
Saskatchewan dinosaur recognized as new species
Researchers say a deer-sized, plant-eating dinosaur that roamed Saskatchewan 66 million years ago is a new species.
From the CBC News-2011-11-28:20:6:1
VIDEO: Mexico's investment in biofuels
In Mexico, airlines are increasingly using a mixture of fossil fuels and biofuels in an attempt to become pioneers in what they say are 'greener' flights.
From the BBC News-2011-11-28:8:5:1
Stolen genes give spiders mites super-pest abilities
Scientists have uncovered how it is that a tiny pest called the two-spotted spider mite can damage such an enormous variety of plants — it uses genes stolen from bacteria, fungi and even plants.
From the CBC News-2011-11-25:20:6:1
Fossil treasure trove found at oilsands
Alberta's oilsands is not just producing black gold — they're also yielding a treasure trove of ancient reptile and dinosaur fossils.
From the CBC News-2011-11-25:14:6:1
Lynn Margulis, Trailblazing Theorist on Evolution, Dies at 73
Dr. Margulis was a biologist whose work on the origin of cells helped transform the study of evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-25:8:5:1
Fossil named after Gerald Scarfe
The fossil of a prehistoric flying reptile discovered in Dorset is named after satirical artist Gerald Scarfe.
From the BBC News-2011-11-21:14:6:1
Massive extinction linked to ancient Siberian blast
Scientists finally know the date — and hence the likely cause — of a massive extinction that wiped out 95 per cent of life in the oceans and 70 per cent of life on land more than 200 million years ago.
From the CBC News-2011-11-18:8:5:2
Dinosaur Isle fossil dig attacked
Tonnes of rock has been removed from a Jurassic site in what has been described as one of Scotland's worst acts of fossil collecting.
From the BBC News-2011-11-18:8:5:1
'Darwin landscape' loses status
A landscape in the Highlands that inspired Charles Darwin has lost Unesco geopark status because of funding problems.
From the BBC News-2011-11-17:14:6:1
London celebrates famous fossils
Exact copies of one of the "most exciting and controversial" fossil finds of recent years come to London's Natural History Museum.
From the BBC News-2011-11-16:14:6:1
DNA Evidence of Innocence Rejected by Some Prosecutors
DNA evidence has cleared hundreds of falsely convicted people over the last two decades, but some prosecutors say that evidence alone is not always enough.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-16:8:5:1
Social gene 'spotted in seconds'
In just 20 seconds, people can spot whether a complete stranger is genetically primed to be more caring and trusting, researchers say.
From the BBC News-2011-11-15:8:5:1
H. Gobind Khorana, 1968 Nobel Winner for RNA Research, Dies
Dr. Khorana and two other RNA researchers were honored in 1968 for showing how genetic information is translated into proteins.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-14:8:5:2
VIDEO: Chile's whale fossil 'graveyard'
Scientists are in the process of excavating a desert fossil bed in Chile containing dozens whole skeletons of ancient whales dating back seven million years.
From the BBC News-2011-11-14:8:5:1
F.F.A. Prospers by Expanding Its Scope
The Future Farmers of America, which prepares students for viable careers, has gone beyond its roots in agriculture, adding fields like genetics and logistics.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-11:20:6:1
Fires 'changing seed evolution'
Human-induced fires are influencing the evolutionary process of some flowering plant species' seeds, a study shows.
From the BBC News-2011-11-11:8:5:1
Alan Mootnick, Who Gave a Home to Gibbons, Dies at 60
Mr. Mootnick was a champion of gibbons who worked to prevent their extinction and also felt a kinship with them.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-10:8:5:1
Rediscovering Darwin the psychologist
Re-running Darwin's emotion test using modern tech
From the BBC News-2011-11-9:14:6:2
'Smallest fossil' scanned in 3-D
An X-ray scan of Baltic amber at the University of Manchester reveals what scientists say is the "smallest arthropod fossil ever".
From the BBC News-2011-11-9:14:6:1
As 'God' species, humans must manage Earth, author argues
A new book recommends turning to nuclear power and genetically modified crops to manage the planet, and suggests technology could allow for limitless economic growth.
From the CBC News-2011-11-7:20:6:3
Spotted Horses in Cave Art Weren’t Just a Figment, DNA Shows
DNA addresses the question of whether the cave artists of ancient France were realists or abstractionists.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-7:20:6:2
Birth of Bronx Zoo’s M’bura Overcomes Okapi Odds
A skittish species, related to the giraffe, is bred in captivity with a mix of patience, genetic know-how and romantic savoir-faire.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-7:20:6:1
'Cyborg yeast' run by a computer
Scientists precisely control gene activity in brewer's yeast using computer-based feedback - an idea that may be used to help produce biofuels and drugs.
From the BBC News-2011-11-6:20:6:1
The Texas Tribune: DNA Exonerations Continue, but Not for One Texas Inmate
Hank Skinner, a Texas inmate, has again been denied the opportunity for new DNA testing. He is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-6:8:5:1
Frontier settlers had breeding boost
The first people to colonize a new area in Quebec had more children and grandchildren than those in existing communities, says a study with widespread implications about human evolution.
From the CBC News-2011-11-3:20:6:1
VIDEO: Fossil study sheds new light on humans
Scientists have analysed a jawbone excavated from a prehistoric cave, showing humans were living in England as long as 44,000 years ago.
From the BBC News-2011-11-3:14:6:1
Fossil Teeth Put Humans in Europe Earlier Than Thought
Refined radiocarbon dating techniques revealed that the teeth, discovered decades ago, belonged to early modern humans, not the Neanderthals with whom they coexisted.
From the NYTimes News-2011-11-2:20:6:3
Route out of Africa 'confirmed'
A six-year effort to map the genetic patterns of humankind appears to confirm that early people first left Africa by crossing into Arabia.
From the BBC News-2011-11-2:20:6:2
Tiny but toothy mammal unearthed
A small Argentine fossil animal, which sported some impressive teeth, sheds new light on the ancient history of mammals.
From the BBC News-2011-11-2:20:6:1
Humans not to blame for all Ice Age mammals' demise
The extinction of the woolly rhino and the Eurasian muskox of the last Ice Age can't be blamed on humans, a new study has found. But humans likely played a role in wiping out wild horses and ancient bison.
From the CBC News-2011-11-2:14:6:1
Concerns Raised about Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
Researchers have bred mosquitoes engineered to pass a lethal gene to their offspring, killing them before they reach adulthood.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-31:8:5:3
Scientists hail brain gene find
Scientists say new research about the genetic make-up of the brain could lead to better understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's.
From the BBC News-2011-10-31:8:5:2
Fossil feast for 'zombie worms'
Traces of bone-eating "zombie worms" have been found in a three million year old fossil from Italy, say researchers.
From the BBC News-2011-10-31:8:5:1
GM mosquitoes show fever promise
A field study of genetically modified mosquitoes suggests they could be deployed against dengue fever and other tropical diseases.
From the BBC News-2011-10-30:20:6:1
Poverty leaves its mark on DNA, researchers find
Adults who grew up in poverty show changes in the "programming" of their DNA, which may be linked to health problems such as obesity and autoimmune diseases, Canadian and British researchers have found.
From the CBC News-2011-10-28:20:6:1
Sheriff Hopes to Identify John Wayne Gacy Victims Using DNA
The sheriff of Cook County, Ill., is hoping to use DNA to identify eight victims of the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, more than 30 years after their deaths.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-28:8:5:1
GMO salmon egg sales plan alarms environmentalists
Environmentalists are alarmed that a U.S-based company with a plant in P.E.I. plans to sell its genetically modified salmon eggs to any approved fish farmer if the company gets U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.
From the CBC News-2011-10-27:14:6:2
Gene therapy 'to protect sight'
Researchers in Oxford have treated a man with an advanced gene therapy technique to prevent him from losing his sight.
From the BBC News-2011-10-27:14:6:1
New Technologies Redraw the World’s Energy Picture
Unconventional fossil fuels extracted by new technologies should shift geopolitical and economic calculations around the world in the coming decades.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-26:8:5:1
GMO salmon farm called 'drug factory'
Allowing an American company to produce the eggs of genetically-modifed salmon on P.E.I. would hurt the Island's reputation as a green province, environmentalists warn.
From the CBC News-2011-10-25:14:6:1
NHS 'must get ready for genetics'
The NHS needs to "urgently" develop the tools and expertise need to take advantage of a revolution in genetic testing, a report says.
From the BBC News-2011-10-25:8:5:1
Hybrid humans: How our ancestors' inter-species trysts affect us
New genetic analysis of prehistoric fossils has shown that most modern humans outside Africa carry the genes of Neanderthals and other extinct human species. How does that change our understanding of what it means to be human?
From the CBC News-2011-10-24:20:6:1
Predatory dinosaur was fearsomely fast
A horned dinosaur as long as an RV may have reached speeds above 55 kilometres an hour as it ran down its prey, estimates an Alberta researcher.
From the CBC News-2011-10-21:20:6:1
Green Blog: On Our Radar: 'Living Fossil' Is Younger Than Thought
It turns out that today's cycad plants originated only about 10 million years ago, not when dinosaurs roamed the earth, a new study says.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-21:14:6:1
Rare fish released into two lakes
More than 2,000 young fish are released into two lakes to protect a species threatened with extinction.
From the BBC News-2011-10-21:8:5:1
Observatory: Mastodon Hunt Adds to Evidence of Pre-Clovis Settlement
A mastodon rib prompted speculation in the late 1970s about pre-Clovis settlers. Now improved carbon dating technology has confirmed the fossil is 13,800 years old.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-20:20:6:1
The genetic make-up of marijuana has been mapped out by a group of researchers who hope the information can help both the hemp industry and those who are developing medicines from marijuana.
From the CBC News-2011-10-20:8:5:1
Dot Earth Blog: Environmentalist Explains Shifts on Biotechnology and Nuclear Power
An environmental activist describes his shifts on nuclear power and genetically modified crops.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-19:14:6:1
Blood test for Down syndrome comes to U.S. market
Pregnant women in the U.S. who want to know whether they're carrying a fetus with Down syndrome now have access to a commercial genetic blood test that has a 99 per cent accuracy rate.
From the CBC News-2011-10-18:20:6:1
Blood test for Down syndrome comes to U.S. market
Pregnant women in the U.S. who want to know whether they're carrying a fetus with Down syndrome now have access to a commercial genetic blood test that has a 99 per cent accuracy rate.
From the CBC News-2011-10-18:20:6:2
Carbon: What price simplicity?
Could taxing fossil fuels at source solve the climate change puzzle?
From the BBC News-2011-10-18:8:5:1
Coyotes cloned by disgraced S. Korean scientist
A South Korean team led by disgraced stem-cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk is claiming to have cloned coyotes for the first time.
From the CBC News-2011-10-17:14:6:1
FBI DNA database plans under fire
A major upgrade of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) DNA database system comes under fire from a group of US forensic scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-10-17:8:5:1
Dot Earth Blog: Machiavelli and Humanity's Lukewarm Response to Warming
Machiavelli explains why decarbonizing a fossil-based global economy is so hard.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-16:14:6:1
DNA pieced of 115-year-old woman
The entire DNA sequence of a woman who lived to 115 has been pieced together and could shed light on ageing, scientists say.
From the BBC News-2011-10-15:8:5:1
AUDIO: Searching for the secrets of extinction
A US researcher is scouring the coast of Somerset in the UK trying to find out what killed off half the Earth's species 205 million years ago.
From the BBC News-2011-10-13:8:5:2
The shifting face of a 200-million-year-old mystery
Getting to the bottom of a 200-million-year-old extinction mystery
From the BBC News-2011-10-13:8:5:3
Gene therapy and stem cells unite
Two of the holy grails of medicine - stem cell technology and precision gene therapy - have been united for the first time in humans, say researchers.
From the BBC News-2011-10-13:8:5:1
The DNA of the Black Death bacteria has been sequenced, a development that could allow researchers to track how it evolved to become such a killer.
From the CBC News-2011-10-12:20:6:3
Pine genetics producing trait-specific trees
A new genetic technique will help pine forests to adapt to climate change and allow producers to more quickly develop trees for bioenergy, according to researchers at the University of Florida.
From the CBC News-2011-10-12:20:6:2
The DNA of the Black Death bacteria has been sequenced, a development that could allow researchers to track how it evolved to become such a killer.
From the CBC News-2011-10-12:20:6:1
Scientists Sequence Genome of Ancient Plague Bacterium
Researchers who have reconstructed the full genome of the ancient plague microbe now hope to bring it back to life to study what made it so deadly.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-12:14:6:2
Black Death genetic code 'built'
The genetic code of the germ that caused the Black Death has been reconstructed in the lab.
From the BBC News-2011-10-12:14:6:1
Tiny teeth re-write rodent record
Rodent fossils found in Peru are at least 41 million years old - South America's oldest - and indicate an African origin.
From the BBC News-2011-10-12:8:5:1
Fruits, veggies may weaken effect of heart gene
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may mitigate the effects of a gene linked to heart disease, Canadian researchers say.
From the CBC News-2011-10-11:20:6:1
New skin cancer genes uncovered
Four genes increase the melanoma risk, two studies at opposite sides of the globe have unearthed.
From the CBC News-2011-10-11:14:6:1
Severe hypoglycaemia cause found
The cause of a severe form of hypoglycaemia - very low levels of sugar in the blood - is genetic, say researchers.
From the BBC News-2011-10-7:8:5:1
Stem Cell Research Shows Promise
Researchers from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratory have, by lucky accident, found a way that stem cells can be harvested.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-6:8:5:4
Human 'cloning' makes stem cells
A form of cloning has been used to create personalised embryonic stem cells in humans.
From the BBC News-2011-10-6:8:5:2
VIDEO: 'Cloning' makes human stem cell
A form of cloning has been used to create personalised embryonic stem cells in humans, say researchers.
From the BBC News-2011-10-6:8:5:3
Leaping fish give evolution clue
Impressive leaps performed by some species of fish give an insight into how aquatic animals "invaded" the land, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-10-6:8:5:1
What makes a twin white or black?
How does this genetic phenomenon in twins occur?
From the BBC News-2011-10-5:8:5:2
Animals cut off by climate swings
Predicting the animals at risk of climate-related extinction
From the BBC News-2011-10-5:8:5:1
Fossil is 'largest toothy pterosaur'
A fossilised section of beak found in the UK belonged to the world's largest toothed pterosaur, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-10-4:8:5:1
Slime Molds: Ancient, Alien and Sophisticated
In a study of slime molds, scientists are learning more how they cooperate, which ties into some of the deepest questions in evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2011-10-3:20:6:1
Source of stronger immunity in women probed
Women may have stronger immune systems than men thanks to the X chromosome, scientists suggest.
From the CBC News-2011-9-28:20:6:1
Fossil beetles show true colours
Scientists develop a method to reconstruct the brilliant colours fossil beetles would have displayed when they crawled across the Earth millions of years ago.
From the BBC News-2011-9-28:14:6:1
Do you know your T.rex from your Spinosaurus?
From the BBC News-2011-9-28:8:5:1
Frog killer immune genes revealed
Scientists take a big step toward understanding why some frogs are able to survive the fungal disease chytridiomycosis while others quickly die.
From the BBC News-2011-9-26:20:6:1
Hair unlocks Aboriginal origins
A lock of hair has helped scientists to piece together the genome of Australian Aborigines and rewrite the history of human dispersal around the world.
From the BBC News-2011-9-23:8:5:1
Australian Aborigine Hair Tells a Story of Human Migration
A lock of hair collected a century ago has yielded the first Aboriginal genome, along with evidence that once the Aborigines’ ancestors arrived in Australia, some 50,000 years ago, they somehow kept the whole continent to themselves.
From the NYTimes News-2011-9-22:20:6:1
Doubt over dino-killer culprit
New data from space have cast into doubt the identity of the asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
From the BBC News-2011-9-21:14:6:1
How do you build a dinosaur if you have never seen one?
From the BBC News-2011-9-21:8:5:1
UBC biologist wins $500,000 'genius' grant
An evolutionary geneticist from UBC has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation — a prestigious award popularly known as a "genius grant."
From the CBC News-2011-9-20:14:6:2
Asteroid 'killed off early birds'
Many early bird species suffered from the same catastrophic extinction as the dinosaurs, new research has shown.
From the BBC News-2011-9-20:14:6:1
Profiles in Science | Richard Dawkins: Richard Dawkins, an Original Thinker Who Bashes Orthodoxy
The Oxford don, a liberal atheist who is arguably the world’s most influential evolutionary biologist, continues to turn the prevailing view of evolution and natural selection on its head.
From the NYTimes News-2011-9-19:14:6:1
Read/write your own genetic code
Editing a human's genes is about to become reality
From the BBC News-2011-9-19:8:5:2
Hero quake pig 'cloned in China'
Chinese scientists clone Zhu Jianqiang, a castrated pig which became a hero after surviving the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, a report says.
From the BBC News-2011-9-19:8:5:1
New sparrow species pinned down
Genetic analysis confirms that the Italian sparrow is a distinct third species of this group of common birds, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-9-18:20:6:1
VIDEO: How do you recreate a dinosaur?
The man behind BBC's Planet Dinosaur series explains how they were able to recreate the animals and their environment.
From the BBC News-2011-9-17:8:5:1
VIDEO: Fossils point to 'feathered' dinosaurs
Samples of amber in western Canada containing feathers from dinosaurs and birds have yielded the most complete story of feather evolution ever seen.
From the BBC News-2011-9-16:8:5:1
How penguins find a perfect partner
How DNA sampling and hair dye are helping researchers to work out "what makes a sexy penguin".
From the BBC News-2011-9-15:14:6:3
Dino feather tale locked in amber
Samples of amber from Canada have yielded the most complete story of feather evolution ever seen, scientists say.
From the BBC News-2011-9-15:14:6:1
Big croc may have met giant snake
The fossilised remains of a 20ft-long extinct species of crocodile are discovered in a mine in Colombia.
From the BBC News-2011-9-15:14:6:2
Dinosaur found dead in its tracks
A fossil housed for 50 years in a Polish institute is the first dinosaur skeleton preserved with its own footprints, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-9-13:20:6:1
High-tech storage for green energy
Electrical energy from wind and solar power must be stored efficiently on a large scale if it is to replace fossil fuels. Quirks & Quarks explores four new promising energy storage technologies.
From the CBC News-2011-9-13:14:6:1
Observatory: Cavefish Circadian Clocks Don’t Need Sun
Photoreceptor cells in cavefish do not respond to light, a discovery that provides insights about the evolution of circadian clocks.
From the NYTimes News-2011-9-12:20:6:2
Immune System, Loaded With Remade T-cells, Vanquishes Cancer
A closer look at what was done to cure two patients of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with a novel gene therapy — which may be useful against other cancers.
From the NYTimes News-2011-9-12:20:6:1
Glowing cats shed light on Aids
Cats that have been genetically modified to glow in the dark are being used to gain insights into Aids.
From the BBC News-2011-9-12:8:5:1
High blood pressure genetic clues
More than 20 new sections of genetic code have been linked to high blood pressure by an international team of scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-9-12:8:5:2
Human DNA trap for deer poachers
Pioneering UK research shows how poachers of deer and other animals could be tracked down and convicted through traces of their DNA.
From the BBC News-2011-9-9:8:5:1
Fossils revise human evolution theories
A pair of two-million-year-old fossils with a mish-mash of human and ape characteristics have changed the way scientists think human-like features evolved.
From the CBC News-2011-9-8:14:6:4
VIDEO: How fossils alter view of human origins
Professor Chris Stringer explains how ancient fossils recently found in South Africa could change the way we view human origins.
From the BBC News-2011-9-8:14:6:2
New Fossils May Redraw Human Family Tree
The new species, Australopithecus sediba, possesses novel combinations of apelike and humanlike features in the hand, foot and pelvis.
From the NYTimes News-2011-9-8:14:6:3
Human origins story takes new turn
The fossil remains of two human-like creatures found in South Africa could change the way we view our origins, claim scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-9-8:14:6:1
McMaster study may have found the exercise gene
McMaster University researchers have discovered that a key gene may explain why some people are energetic and others find it hard to get moving.
From the CBC News-2011-9-5:20:6:1
Croatian cave species under threat
The rare cave-dwelling species under threat of extinction from pollution and development in Croatia.
From the BBC News-2011-9-5:8:5:1
Alberta health plan 'on track'
Alberta saw an increase last year of nearly 10,000 more surgeries, Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said Thursday in his update of the province's five year plan.
From the CBC News-2011-9-1:20:6:2
'Oldest' woolly rhino discovered
A woolly rhino fossil dug up on the Tibetan Plateau is believed to be the oldest specimen of its kind yet found.
From the BBC News-2011-9-1:20:6:1
Researchers Find Antibiotic Resistance in Ancient DNA
The new finding underlines the need to use antibiotics sparingly, given that the genes for antibiotic resistance are ubiquitous and easily promoted by antibiotics.
From the NYTimes News-2011-9-1:8:5:1
Skeleton of Ned Kelly, Australian Outlaw and Folk Hero, Is Identified
DNA tests confirm that a skeleton dug up in a prison graveyard is that of Ned Kelly, 19th-century outlaw and folk hero, scientists say. But the search for his skull continues.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-31:20:6:1
Why having an older dad boosts brain disorder risk
A study in mice shows the offspring of older fathers have more genetic changes associated with autism and other brain disorders.
From the CBC News-2011-8-31:14:6:4
Antibiotic resistance found in ancient bacteria
The same genes that make disease-causing bacteria resistant to today's antibiotics have been found in soil bacteria that have remained frozen since woolly mammoths roamed the Yukon.
From the CBC News-2011-8-31:14:6:3
Soybean industry seeks OK for modified low-fat bean
The soybean industry is seeking U.S. government approval of a genetically modified soybean that it says will produce oil lower in saturated fat, offering consumers a healthier alternative and increasing demand for growers' crops.
From the CBC News-2011-8-31:14:6:2
Why having an older dad boosts brain disorder risk
A study in mice shows the offspring of older fathers have more genetic changes associated with autism and other brain disorders.
From the CBC News-2011-8-31:14:6:1
Have we underestimated the Neanderthals?
From the BBC News-2011-8-30:8:5:1
Bacterial Genome Sequencing Offers Latest Tool Against Diseases
Investigators can now take precautions against diseases starting to emerge, like flu or food-borne bugs and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-29:20:6:1
Sequencing the Microbe That Causes Bubonic Plague
Scientists are trying to sequence the genome of the bacterium that caused the Black Death from skeletons in a 14th-century graveyard in London.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-29:20:6:2
Q & A: How Tall Can People Grow?
The problem of determining a theoretical upper limit of human height concerns both genetics and human engineering.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-29:20:6:3
Sex with Neanderthals boosted human immunity
Some immune system genes carried by modern humans came from interbreeding with Neanderthals and other ancient hominins called Denisovans, a new study has found.
From the CBC News-2011-8-26:20:6:1
Sex with Neanderthals boosted human immunity
Some immune system genes carried by modern humans came from interbreeding with Neanderthals and other ancient hominins called Denisovans, a new study has found.
From the CBC News-2011-8-26:20:6:2
Endangered Siamese crocodiles hatch in Laos
One of the world's rarest crocodile species has moved a little bit further from extinction with the hatching of 20 wild eggs plucked from a nest found in southern Laos.
From the CBC News-2011-8-26:14:6:1
VIDEO: Rare crocodiles hatched in Laos
One of the world's rarest crocodiles is clawing its way back from extinction in the wild, with the hatching of 20 eggs in Laos.
From the BBC News-2011-8-26:8:5:1
Dolly scientist in wildcat move
A scientist who was part of the Dolly the sheep cloning team is working on a technique to clone endangered wildcats.
From the BBC News-2011-8-25:8:5:2
Fossil redefines mammal history
A small, 160-million-year-old fossil from China shows that placental and marsupial mammals diverged much earlier than previously suggested.
From the BBC News-2011-8-25:8:5:1
Observatory: Ancestors of Humans and Kangaroos Split Even Earlier, Fossil Indicates
A 160-million-year-old fossil found in China is more closely related to modern placental mammals than to modern marsupials.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-24:20:6:1
Green Blog: Where Has All the Genetic Diversity Gone?
A study from a biodiversity and climate research group in Germany examines the almost invisible erosion of genetic diversity because of climate-induced range contractions.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-24:14:6:1
Study draws 'virtual harvestmen'
Scientists use CT scans to make 3D models of fossil harvestmen, revealing just how little these spindly invertebrates have changed in 300 million years.
From the BBC News-2011-8-23:14:6:1
'Oldest' fossils reveal life 3.4 billion years ago
The preserved cell walls of bacteria that lived in oceans without oxygen 3.4 billion years ago are believed to be the oldest fossils ever found, Australian and British scientists claim.
From the CBC News-2011-8-22:14:6:1
Team Claims It Has Found Oldest Fossils
Microfossils found in Western Australia are the latest salvos in the battle for scientific glory.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-22:8:5:3
Prehistoric mummies from Scotland were made of parts from different bodies, DNA analysis shows
From the BBC News-2011-8-22:8:5:2
Fossil insight into ancient Earth
Tiny structures found within 3.4bn-year-old sandstones in Western Australia show early microbes on Earth were processing sulphur for energy and growth.
From the BBC News-2011-8-22:8:5:1
How the kangaroo got its bounce
The newly sequenced DNA of the kangaroo reveals some of the genetic secrets behind its remarkable biology.
From the BBC News-2011-8-19:20:6:1
Miscarriage clue found in chromosomes
Scientists in Germany and Japan have discovered a mechanism that could explain why some eggs in a woman contain the wrong number of chromosomes, a leading cause of miscarriage.
From the CBC News-2011-8-19:14:6:1
VIDEO: Otters return from brink of extinction
Otters have been spotted in Kent, which according to an Environment Agency survey means they have returned to every county in England.
From the BBC News-2011-8-18:8:5:2
Otters now in each English county
Otters have been spotted in Kent, signalling their return to every English county after once being on the brink of extinction.
From the BBC News-2011-8-18:8:5:1
Fossil shows huge mouth evolution
The fossilised jawbone of an ancient whale has revealed a key step in the evolution of the most enormous mouths in nature, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-8-17:14:6:1
New Pacific eel a 'living fossil'
A newly discovered type of eel that inhabits undersea caves in the Pacific Ocean is dubbed a "living fossil" because of its primitive features.
From the BBC News-2011-8-17:8:5:1
Excitement over 'early wood' find
Fossilised plants show that woody plants probably first appeared on the Earth about 10 million years earlier than previously thought, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2011-8-16:14:6:1
Rheumatoid arthritis genetic link explains severity
The question of why some people are genetically predisposed to rheumatoid arthritis has been answered for some patients by Canadian researchers.
From the CBC News-2011-8-14:14:6:1
IBM PC turns 30 - What was your first computer?
Friday is the 30th anniversary of the first IBM PC, model number 5150. Tell us your story about the first time you used a computer. Was your first computer an early IBM clone?
From the CBC News-2011-8-12:14:6:1
Pregnant plesiosaur fossil uncovered
The remains of a giant sea creature are providing the first proof that these prehistoric reptiles gave birth to their young rather than laying eggs.
From the CBC News-2011-8-11:20:6:1
ADHD, autism may share genetic commonality
Canadian researchers have uncovered some new genes that appear to contribute to ADHD in some children and shares some intriguing genetic overlap with autism.
From the CBC News-2011-8-11:14:6:4
Multiple sclerosis genetic clues found
Multiple sclerosis has been linked to more than two dozen new genetic variants that could help guide the search for treatments, researchers say.
From the CBC News-2011-8-11:14:6:3
VIDEO: DNA differences clue to diseases
Reseach at the Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire has led scientists to believe diseases like cancer and diabetes could be linked to minute variations in DNA.
From the BBC News-2011-8-11:14:6:2
Animal's genetic code redesigned
The creation of an animal with artificial genetic information could give scientists unprecedented control over living organisms, researchers say.
From the BBC News-2011-8-11:14:6:1
Genetic clues to what triggers MS
New DNA discoveries add weight to the idea that MS is triggered when the body's immune system turns against itself.
From the BBC News-2011-8-11:8:5:1
Gene therapy leukemia treatment successful
Scientists are reporting the first clear success with gene therapy to treat leukemia, turning the patients' own blood cells into assassins that hunt down and wipe out their cancer.
From the CBC News-2011-8-10:20:6:1
Giant birds lived among dinosaurs
An enormous jawbone found in Kazakhstan adds weight to the idea that giant birds existed at the same time as the dinosaurs.
From the BBC News-2011-8-10:8:5:1
DNA components made in asteroids, study suggests
DNA building blocks found on meteorites are providing more evidence that chemistry in space generated the ingredients for life on Earth.
From the CBC News-2011-8-9:14:6:2
'Intelligence genes' search eludes scientists
Many genes play a role in intelligence, new evidence shows, but scientists still couldn't pinpoint the specific genes involved.
From the CBC News-2011-8-9:14:6:1
18 and Under: ‘Environment’ Poses a Knotty Challenge in Autism
A recent study finds evidence that autism has environmental roots as well as genetic ones. But what does “environmental” mean?
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-8:20:6:3
Global Update: Longevity: Habits May Extend Life Only So Much
A study suggests that people with the genes for longevity live past age 95 with habits no different from most others, but that the average person would probably have to follow a healthy lifestyle to live comfortably past 80.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-8:20:6:2
A Colorful Way to Watch Evolution in Nebraska’s Sand Dunes
A group of naturalists is studying color to piece together evidence of how genetic diversity occurs, and how natural selection acts on that diversity.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-8:20:6:1
What was the genetic secret behind Peter the Wild Boy?
From the BBC News-2011-8-8:14:6:1
Observatory: No Prints? Evidence Points to Mutated Gene
An Israeli doctor led a study of a Swiss family, half of whose members have a rare condition called adermatoglyphia.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-8:14:6:2
Scientist at Work: Digging Around for Snails
In order to date landslide deposits in Sichuan, China, scientists look for bones, charcoal and fossil snails.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-4:20:6:1
Ancient primate fossil unearthed
Researchers working in Uganda say they have unearthed the well-preserved fossil skull of an ancient primate.
From the BBC News-2011-8-2:14:6:1
Birdlike Dinosaur Fossil May Shake Up the Avian Family Tree
A Chinese fossil representing a previously unknown species of birdlike dinosaur could represent the final straw in the theory that Archaeopteryx was the earliest bird.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-1:20:6:1
Essay: Who Falls to Addiction, and Who Is Unscathed?
Who can experiment uneventfully with drugs and who will be undone by them results from a complex interplay of genes, environment and psychology.
From the NYTimes News-2011-8-1:20:6:2
Ruling Upholds Gene Patent in Cancer Test
A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that genes can be patented, overturning a lower court decision that had shocked the biotechnology industry.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-30:8:5:1
Judge rejects lawsuit against stem cell research
A lawsuit that had threatened to end government funding of embryonic stem cell research has been dismissed, allowing the U.S. to continue supporting a search for cures to deadly diseases over protests that the work uses destroyed human embryos.
From the CBC News-2011-7-28:20:6:1
Feathers fly in first bird debate
A chicken-sized dinosaur fossil found in China may have overturned a long-held theory about the origin of birds.
From the BBC News-2011-7-27:20:6:1
Wild Cougar Traveled East 1,500 Miles, Tests Find
DNA tests show that the animal killed last month in Connecticut belonged to a population of mountain lions found in the Black Hills, officials said.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-27:8:5:2
DNA test links ageing and poverty
Scientists in Glasgow develop a new test of the ageing process, which confirms it is linked to social factors.
From the BBC News-2011-7-27:8:5:1
Global Update: Food: Deal Will Help Build a Better Cassava
A snippet of DNA licensed by the Dow Chemical Company will help the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center develop resistant varieties of the disease-prone crop.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-25:20:6:1
Green: New York City, an Evolutionary Lab
Pollution has driven some of the starkest examples of animals' evolution in New York.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-25:14:6:3
Observatory: Blame for Extinction Spreads to Methane Gas
The study could be foreshadowing the effect of climate change on Earth, its lead author says.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-25:14:6:2
Evolution Right Under Our Noses
A small but growing number of field biologists study urban evolution — the biological changes that cities bring to the wildlife that inhabits them.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-25:14:6:1
Scientists Retract Report on Predicting Longevity
Though they acknowledged that a flawed gene-detecting device had skewed their data, Boston University researchers said their findings were nonetheless accurate.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-23:8:5:2
National Briefing | MIDWEST: Illinois: More Signs of Invasive Carp Found
Two more samples taken from a waterway near Lake Michigan contained genetic material from invasive Asian carp, the United States Army Corps of Engineers said Friday.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-23:8:5:3
NASA Picks Rover Destination: Mountain on Mars
The vehicle will spend at least two years climbing a mountain, passing through geological layers that will give clues to the planet’s early environmental evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-23:8:5:1
Tighter animal test rules urged
Better regulation is needed to govern research in animals containing human tissue or genes, according to the Academy of Medical Sciences.
From the BBC News-2011-7-22:14:6:1
Fossil 'is first pregnant lizard'
A 120-million-year-old fossil is the earliest evidence of a pregnant lizard, according to scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-7-21:8:5:1
Decoding DNA With Semiconductors
The new Ion Torrent machine costs $49,000 and takes just two hours to sequence DNA, but its inventor says it will take years to make sense of much of the data it reveals.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-20:20:6:1
North Wales men's 'rare genetics'
Experts ask men from north east Wales to provide a DNA sample to discover why those from the area carry an "extraordinary" genetic make-up.
From the BBC News-2011-7-19:8:5:2
Insect's million sex-free years
Stick insects have lived and reproduced for one million years without sex, genetic research reveals.
From the BBC News-2011-7-19:8:5:1
Observatory: A Male That May Mate Its Kind Into Extinction
Female cottony cushion scales tend to reproduce with their parasitic fathers rather than an outside male, resulting in a dwindling population, researchers report.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-18:20:6:2
News Analysis: Add Patience to a Leap of Faith to Discover Cancer Signatures
There have been few successes in the brave new world of cancer research: the quest for genetic signatures.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-18:20:6:1
Green: As Carbon Sinks, Forests Are Even Mightier Than Assumed
Each year, about one-third of the carbon dioxide released through the burning of fossil fuels is absorbed by the world's forests, a new study says. But deforestation is having a devastating effect.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-15:20:6:1
Dot Earth: Biggest Coal Company and Coal Country Collaborate on Mega Mine
China and the world's biggest coal company team up on a new mine, and the age of fossil fuels rolls on.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-14:20:6:2
Biologists Report Hijacking E. Coli’s Genetic Code
Harvard researchers devised a method for making hundreds of changes in the bacterium’s genome simultaneously, paving the way to replace the deleted genetic function with another.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-14:20:6:1
Westerners programmed for alcohol
Westerners could be genetically programmed to consume fatty foods and alcohol more than those from the east, researchers in Scotland claim.
From the BBC News-2011-7-14:14:6:1
The Climate Reality Project, a renamed and redefined group overseen by Mr. Gore, will seek to educate the public about the impacts of global warming and counter what he considers the well-financed disinformation and denial campaign run by the fossil fuel industries.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-13:8:5:2
Has a new find ended debate on the extinction of the dinosaurs?
From the BBC News-2011-7-13:8:5:1
Trees 'do not forget their roots'
Genetically identical forest trees raised in different areas and environments react differently when exposed to drought conditions, a study reveals.
From the BBC News-2011-7-12:8:5:1
VIDEO: DNA samples may help save adders
A decline in the British adder population is investigated by a Worcestershire scientist collecting adder DNA samples.
From the BBC News-2011-7-12:8:5:2
In Midwest, Flutters May Be Far Fewer
The evidence is preliminary, but some experts say genetically modified crops threaten the butterfly by depriving it of habitat.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-11:20:6:1
Scientists decode potato genome
International scientists based in Scotland decode the full DNA sequence of the potato, one of the world's most important staple crops, for the first time.
From the BBC News-2011-7-10:8:5:1
Non-invasive embryo gene screen
Fertility doctors say they have found a new, non-invasive way to screen IVF embryos for genetic abnormalities.
From the BBC News-2011-7-8:20:6:1
VIDEO: Face-to-face with 'vast sea monster'
A fossilised skull belonging to one of the largest sea monsters ever unearthed is unveiled to the public.
From the BBC News-2011-7-8:14:6:1
'Most fearsome predator' unveiled
A fossilised skull belonging to one of the largest sea monsters ever unearthed is unveiled to the public.
From the BBC News-2011-7-8:8:5:1
Polar bears have Irish ancestors
The maternal ancestors of modern polar bears were from Ireland, according to a DNA study of ancient brown bear bones.
From the BBC News-2011-7-7:14:6:1
U.S.D.A. Ruling on Bluegrass Stirs Cries of Lax Regulation
The Agriculture Department said a genetically engineered bluegrass was not under its purview, alarming some scientists and environmentalists.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-7:8:5:1
MEPs back national GM crop bans
Euro MPs vote to give governments more room to restrict or ban genetically modified crops.
From the BBC News-2011-7-6:8:5:1
Naked mole rat blueprint revealed
Researchers sequence the genome of the naked mole rat, a key step towards finding the secret of the bizarre animal's longevity.
From the BBC News-2011-7-5:14:6:1
Roots of Disease Found to Vary by Continent
A survey of the human genome shows that common diseases are likely to have a different set of genetic roots in Africans, East Asians and Europeans.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-4:20:6:1
Tracing Unscooped Dog Waste Back to the Culprit
Canine DNA is now being used to identify the culprits who fail to clean up after their pets.
From the NYTimes News-2011-7-2:8:5:1
Observatory: Images of Fossil Birds Show Ancient Pigments
One of the biological molecules scientists have identified in specimens more than 100 million years old is still active today in some creatures. In humans, it colors brown eyes and dark hair.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-30:20:6:2
Fossils show 'chemistry of life'
Pigments preserved in ancient fossils are revealed by X-rays, providing detailed information about the animals' lives.
From the BBC News-2011-6-30:20:6:1
Knox DNA evidence 'doubts' raised
Experts raise doubts about DNA evidence that helped convict US student Amanda Knox of the murder of Meredith Kercher, a leaked report says.
From the BBC News-2011-6-29:14:6:1
On View: Paying Homage to Darwin in an Unconventional Format: Rap
A new play serves as a lecture on Darwin and natural selection disguised as a rant on the history of rap, gangs and murder in Chicago, and much more.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-27:20:6:2
Genome plan for Tasmanian devil
Scientists sequence the genome of the Tasmanian devil to try to protect the endangered marsupial against a contagious facial cancer.
From the BBC News-2011-6-27:20:6:1
Hemophilia Is Target of Therapy on Genome
Researchers using a new technique for editing the genome of living cells have shown that they can cure hemophilia in mice, at least in principle.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-27:14:6:1
Drilling Down: Behind Veneer, Doubt on Future of Natural Gas
Energy companies have worked hard to promote natural gas as the fossil fuel of tomorrow, and they have found reliable allies in Washington. But not everyone agrees.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-27:8:5:4
Lean gene 'linked to heart risk'
Genes that result in a slender figure have been linked to heart disease and type-two diabetes, conditions normally associated with being overweight.
From the BBC News-2011-6-27:8:5:2
VIDEO: Newcastle 'was like Bahamas'
Engineers who have been drilling a hole deep below Newcastle in search of a renewable energy source, have discovered some surprising fossil evidence.
From the BBC News-2011-6-27:8:5:3
Flap-run reveals flight evolution
Flapping and running, researchers say, may have been an important early step in the evolution of flight.
From the BBC News-2011-6-27:8:5:1
Researchers develop an approach to switch on genes with a blue light; a technique that could one day help regulate blood sugar levels.
From the BBC News-2011-6-24:14:6:1
href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-13874671">Why is there only one human species?
Several human species evolved, so why did only ours survive?
From the BBC News-2011-6-24:10:15:1
VIDEO: EU cuts could hit rare wildlife
Conservationists have been warning that some of Britain's rarest birds could be placed at greater risk if the European Union cuts agricultural funding that pays for land to be set aside to help vulnerable species.
From the BBC News-2011-6-24:10:13:1
Scientist at Work: How Agriculture Affects Endemic Fish
Although dams in Madagascar often provide water needed for village rice production, they often have devastating environmental consequences, including extinction of endemic fishes.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-22:20:6:1
Scientist at Work: Why Study Hyenas?
Spotted hyenas are a model system for studying immune function, skull morphology, social networks, conservation biology and the evolution of intelligence.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-21:20:6:1
Magnetic Field Sensed by Gene, Study Shows
A researcher suggests that humans, like butterflies and other animals, can sense the earth’s magnetic field and use it to navigate.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-21:14:6:1
'Shocking' decline seen in oceans
The oceans are in a worse state than previously suspected, with mass extinction of marine species looming, according to a panel of scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-6-20:14:6:1
Vaccine hope for prostate cancer
Gene therapy vaccine has been shown to beat prostate cancer in mice, an international team says.
From the BBC News-2011-6-20:8:5:1
Genetic Basis for Crime: A New Look
At the National Institute of Justice conference this week, the topics will include a possible connection that, two decades ago, produced an uproar.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-20:8:5:2
Bug genomes to help fight disease
Researchers plan to sequence 5,000 insect genomes in the fight against insect-borne diseases and crop damage.
From the BBC News-2011-6-17:14:6:1
The legacy of Darwin's 'equally brilliant' cousin
From the BBC News-2011-6-16:8:5:1
'Smallest' dinosaur fossil found
The fossil of what is thought to be one of the world's smallest dinosaurs is found at a brickworks in Sussex.
From the BBC News-2011-6-15:14:6:1
Africa's forest elephants follow the mammoth
From the BBC News-2011-6-15:8:5:2
Australian dinosaur had UK double
A dinosaur found in Australia is almost identical to a well-known fish-eating one from the UK, suggesting northern and southern hemisphere dinos had a lot more in common than previously thought.
From the BBC News-2011-6-15:8:5:1
Observatory: Tracing of Rice Genomes Reveals Cross-Breeding
Two rice subspecies appear to have been independently bred, but they also share each other’s stronger traits, suggesting farmers exchanged their strains of rice repeatedly over the years.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-14:8:5:2
Researchers at Glasgow University develop a microchip that is helping speed up DNA analysis and could revolutionise health care.
From the BBC News-2011-6-14:8:5:1
Books on Science: From Hitler to Mother Teresa: 6 Degrees of Empathy
Simon Baron-Cohen proposes that evil can be is more scientifically defined as an absence of empathy, made worse by negative parental and societal factors, with a genetic component.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-13:20:6:1
VIDEO: Large number of jellyfish found
An unusually large number of freshwater jellyfish, seen as "living fossils", has been found in a lake in the east of China.
From the BBC News-2011-6-13:14:6:1
Rare lizard saved from extinction
Scientists rescue a tiny, endangered skink from its last refuge in Mauritius.
From the BBC News-2011-6-10:8:5:1
Heaviest flyer faces extinction
The massive Great Indian bustard is now Critically Endangered, according to this year's Red List of rare birds.
From the BBC News-2011-6-7:8:5:1
Wielding Genomes in the Fight Against Cancer
Experts at the World Science Festival mused on individualized therapies, global involvement in clinical trials and the potential of genetic research to find a cure. Hint: It could take a while.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-3:20:6:1
Green: A Nimbler, More Energy-Efficient Marine Corps
To reduce the risks and burdens posed by transporting fossil fuels in convoys, the Marines adopt technology like solar power and LED lighting.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-3:8:5:2
Mission to save rarest sandpiper
Conservationists have embarked on a mission to save one of the world's rarest birds, the spoon-billed sandpiper, from extinction.
From the BBC News-2011-6-3:8:5:1
DNA computing takes logical leap
Scientists unveil a chemical computer of unrivalled complexity that may lead to "programmable chemistry" for biological and medical applications.
From the BBC News-2011-6-2:20:6:1
Teeth of Human Ancestors Hold Clues to Their Family Life
Scientists analyzing fossil teeth of australopithecines in Africa say the males stayed close to home, while the females dispersed after puberty, as in chimpanzee societies.
From the NYTimes News-2011-6-1:14:6:1
Green: On Our Radar: Habitat Loss and Climate Change Imperil Koala
The species is "slipping to extinction under our noses," a conservationist in Australia says.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-27:20:6:1
Tests Reveal Mislabeling of Fish
Recent technology that identifies varieties of fish by their gene sequences has shown that 20 to 25 percent of seafood products are being mislabeled.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-26:20:6:1
Autistic brains' 'genes differ'
The brains of people with autism are chemically different to healthy ones, according to researchers.
From the BBC News-2011-5-26:14:6:1
Observatory: Fossil Extends Life Span of a Marine Predator
A well-preserved specimen indicates that anomalocaridids, the largest animal species of the Cambrian period, lived 30 million years longer and grew much bigger than previously thought.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-25:20:6:1
Protests against 'dinosaur' oil exploration step up, as memos show safety concerns
From the BBC News-2011-5-24:14:6:1
Reducing the use of fossil fuels by cargo ships
From the BBC News-2011-5-23:8:5:2
Seagrasses face extinction threat
The first global survey suggests the number and diversity of seagrasses is falling.
From the BBC News-2011-5-23:8:5:1
Tiny flaws 'sparked complex life'
Slightly harmful changes to protein structure may have been responsible for the rise from the simplest life to higher organisms, research suggests.
From the BBC News-2011-5-20:14:12:1
Extinction rates 'overestimated'
Current extinction rate projections may be overestimating the role of habitat loss on species, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2011-5-20:8:5:2
Smell key to big brain evolution
A highly developed sense of smell kick-started the development of mammals' big brains.
From the BBC News-2011-5-20:8:5:1
Dot Earth: The Many Forces Driving Extinction
A student of vanished and vanishing amphibians warns other biologists against focusing on habitat loss as a gauge of extinction.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-19:14:6:1
How one Colombian clan may hold the key to beating Alzheimer's
From the BBC News-2011-5-19:8:5:1
Dot Earth: Extinction and its Discontents
A mathematical challenge to a formula long used to estimate extinction rates.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-18:20:6:2
Observatory: Fossil Sheds Light on the Lizard-Snake Divide
A 47 million-year-old lizard specimen found in Germany indicates that snakes and the limbless lizards that superficially resemble them evolved independently.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-18:20:6:1
What does a test tube of DNA look like?
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-16:20:6:1
Economic View: Why Worry? It’s Good for You
The anxiety we feel about whether we’ll succeed is evolution’s way of motivating us, says Robert H. Frank.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-15:8:5:1
Museum discovers lost fossil trove
More than 2,000 insect fossils dating to the Jurassic period are found at the Museum of Somerset after being forgotten for more than 90 years.
From the BBC News-2011-5-11:8:5:1
Ship sails towards 'green' tuna
Scientists embark on an expedition in the Pacific to find ways of curbing the damaging toll of tuna fishing, which is bringing some species to the brink of extinction.
From the BBC News-2011-5-10:8:5:1
Neanderthals and Early Humans May Not Have Mingled Much
Carbon dating shows that Neanderthals didn’t last as long as thought, throwing into doubt the idea that they may have interbred with early humans.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-9:20:6:2
Plant Accident Upends Japan’s Nuclear Ambitions
The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant may cause Japan to import more fossil fuels rather than increase its reliance on renewable energy sources, experts say.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-9:20:6:3
Tracking Lineage Through a Bramble
Donald C. Johanson and Richard Leakey, paleoanthropologists and famous rivals, joined forces to speak on human evolution at the American Museum of Natural History.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-9:20:6:1
Skin Deep: New Stratagems in the Quest for Hair
Transplants, lotions, pills: what’s next in the search for a thick head of hair? Cloning, says one doctor.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-5:8:5:1
Giant ants spread in warm climes
The discovery of fossil ants as big as small birds shows they crossed between continents during warm periods in Earth history, scientists say.
From the BBC News-2011-5-3:20:6:1
Experts Say DNA Match Is Likely a Parent or Child
Federal officials said DNA analysis helped confirm Osama bin Laden’s identity with 99.9 percent accuracy, which scientific experts said would result from a match with a close relative.
From the NYTimes News-2011-5-3:8:5:1
Dot Earth: Old Energy Strategies, New Century
A fresh proposal to raise the price of fossil fuels feels very 20th century.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-28:20:6:1
Encoding verse into the DNA of a common bacterium
From the BBC News-2011-4-28:8:5:1
The First Stars, Massive and Fast-Spinning
The first stars that dotted the universe were not only immense, but probably also fast-spinning, according to a new study that sheds light on the nature of stellar evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-27:20:6:1
Books: All About the Invidious Irritants That Irk Individuals
From physics and psychology to aesthetics, genetics and even treatment for the miserably, terminally annoyed, a new book covers all the terrain.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-25:20:6:2
Hippo, Warts and Other Thugs of the Genetic Realm
Genes with colorful monikers may play a part in treating cardiac events.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-25:20:6:1
GM mosquitoes offer malaria hope
Scientists believe they are closer to being able to change the genes of wild mosquitoes in order to combat malaria.
From the BBC News-2011-4-21:8:5:1
Green: Mediterranean Fish Species Threatened With Extinction
More than 40 species of fish are threatened or face extinction from overfishing, pollution or degradation of their habitat, according to a report from a global conservation group.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-20:8:5:2
Spider fossil 'biggest on record'
Scientists describe a 15cm-long Chinese spider that lived 165 million years ago - the biggest fossilised arachnid yet found.
From the BBC News-2011-4-20:8:5:1
Fossil reveals earliest toothache
A 275-million-year-old reptile fossil shows the earliest evidence of oral infection, hinting at the origins of our own susceptibility to tooth decay.
From the BBC News-2011-4-19:14:6:1
VIDEO: DNA test to protect UK's adders
Adders are the UK's only venomous snake and were once a common sight in the British countryside.
From the BBC News-2011-4-19:8:5:1
Reptiles Eat With the Bones Humans Hear With, Fossil Proves
A well-preserved fossil bears the first paleontological evidence showing the close relationship between the lower jaw and the middle ear.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-18:20:6:1
Parents 'want child gene tests'
US parents believe the benefits of gene tests on their children outweigh the negative consequences.
From the BBC News-2011-4-18:8:5:1
Premature birth gene 'discovered'
A gene linked to premature births has been discovered, scientists in the US and Finland say.
From the BBC News-2011-4-16:14:6:1
Some dinosaurs 'hunted at night'
A comparative study of the eye parts of dinosaur fossils and modern-day lizards and birds suggests some dinosaurs hunted at night.
From the BBC News-2011-4-14:20:6:1
Pictures of strange animals close to extinction
From the BBC News-2011-4-14:14:6:1
Falcon DNA 'to stop bird thieves'
Scientists take DNA samples from newly born peregrine falcon chicks in an attempt to catch unscrupulous bird dealers.
From the BBC News-2011-4-14:8:5:1
'Remarkable' fossil prints found
A boulder with three different fossilised dinosaur footprints is discovered at Brook Bay.
From the BBC News-2011-4-12:14:6:1
Court of Extinction (1 Letter)
A letter to the editor.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-11:20:6:1
Observatory: Bacterium Puts Insect on Evolution Fast Track
The sweet potato whitefly is infected with a bacterium, and both seem to benefit.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-11:14:6:1
How Evolution Explains Altruism
Most of the great evolutionary innovations of life on earth are due to cooperation, a Harvard scientist argues.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-10:8:5:2
From Ancient Giants, Finding New Life to Help the Planet
A plan hatched by tree enthusiasts hopes to clone and mass-produce colossal redwoods, the tallest living things on earth.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-10:8:5:1
World Briefing | ASIA: India: ‘Superbug’ Gene Found in Environment
Bacteria containing an antibiotic-resistant “superbug” gene have been found in 2 of 51 tap water samples in New Delhi and in dozens of puddles and pools that children could play in.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-8:8:5:1
Wales is set to be the first country to DNA barcode all of its native flowering plants, scientists claim.
From the BBC News-2011-4-7:8:5:1
Pre-pregnancy DNA tests approved
Genetic tests for conditions such as cystic fibrosis should be available before people become pregnant, says the government's advisory body on genetics.
From the BBC News-2011-4-6:14:6:1
Observatory: Leaving an Impression That Has Lasted Forever
A fossil found in southeastern Massachusetts provides the earliest and perhaps best look at the body of an early flying insect.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-4:20:6:3
Observatory: The Curious Case of the Washington Elms That Are Unlike Any Other
A couple of trees growing along the National Mall in Washington have three sets of chromosomes, not the usual four.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-4:20:6:4
Wolf Crosses the Lake Superior Ice to Become Leader of the Pack
Fifty-six percent of the genes in Isle Royale wolves can be traced to a single wolf that arrived from Ontario in 1997.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-4:20:6:1
Scientist at Work: Collecting Seawater From the Depths
Scientists sample for microbial DNA and stable isotope ratios in nitrogen-containing compounds to learn about the relative contributions of different nitrogen cycling processes.
From the NYTimes News-2011-4-4:20:6:2
Giant cousin of T. rex identified
A giant predatory dinosaur, which stood 4m tall and was similar in size to T. rex, is identified by palaeontologists.
From the BBC News-2011-4-2:20:7:1
Leukaemia genes' role discovered
The roles of genes which cause acute myeloid leukaemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, have been identified by scientists.
From the BBC News-2011-3-27:20:6:1
Observatory: Fearsome Fangs, for a Plant-Eater
A 260-million-year-old fossil species found in Brazil, Tiarajudens eccentricus, was a herbivorous reptile that had canines like those of a saber-toothed cat, researchers say.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-25:20:6:1
In a Brazilian Town, a Rogue Gene and a Boom in Twins
The mystery of Cândido Godói’s large population of twins is not related to minerals in the water, or to Nazi experiments, a scientist says.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-25:8:5:1
'Pre-eclampsia genes' discovered
Scientists discover genetic errors that increase a woman's chance of the life-threatening condition of some pregnancies called pre-eclampsia.
From the BBC News-2011-3-23:8:5:2
Image unlocks fossil skin secrets
For the first time, an image maps organic compounds still surviving in a prehistoric reptile skin sample, offering an insight into how it was preserved.
From the BBC News-2011-3-23:8:5:1
Tests shed light on life origins
Scientists examine the results from 1950s experiments to show how the foul-smelling hydrogen sulphide may have been an important precursor in the chemistry that eventually led to life on Earth
From the BBC News-2011-3-22:16:19:1
'Extinction threat' to religion
Decades of census data, alongside a mathematical model, suggest religion in nine secular countries is being driven to extinction.
From the BBC News-2011-3-22:8:5:1
Observatory: Canine Genetic Wrinkle Has Potential for Humans
Studying the genetic mutation that causes shar-peis to develop wrinkles and recurring fevers that resemble illnesses that humans inherit could help human geneticists develop treatments.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-18:14:6:1
World Briefing | AFRICA: Angola: New Dinosaur Found in Long-Closed Country
In a first for Angola, emerging from decades of war, scientists say that they have discovered a dinosaur fossil there of an uncataloged species.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-17:8:5:1
Experts unravel 'churkey' mystery
The "churkey" owes its distinctive look to a complex genetic mutation, according to scientists in Edinburgh.
From the BBC News-2011-3-16:8:5:1
Remarkable Creatures: For Whom the Cell Mutates: The Origins of Genetic Quirks
While the origins of the cats at Hemingway’s longtime home in Key West, Fla., remain murky, the cause of their polydactyly is no longer a mystery.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-14:20:6:1
Peanut allergy 'gene flaw' link
A gene defect that can triple the risk of a child developing an allergy to peanuts has been identified, scientists say.
From the BBC News-2011-3-11:8:5:1
Justices Allow Inmates to Sue for DNA Testing
The Supreme Court on Monday made it easier for inmates to sue for access to DNA evidence that could prove their innocence.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-8:8:5:1
Really?: The Claim: Back Pain Runs in Families
A growing number of studies are finding that chronic back pain has a strong genetic component.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-7:20:6:1
Imam attacked for defending evolution
An imam retracts statements about evolution and the right of Muslim women not to cover their hair after death threats were made against him.
From the BBC News-2011-3-7:8:5:1
Dot Earth: NASA Scientist Sees Signs of Life in Meteorites
A NASA scientist publishes fresh analysis showing signs of extraterrestrial life -- fossil cyanobacteria -- in three meteorites.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-5:20:6:1
Super rice is flood/drought-proof
A gene that increases a rice plant's resistance to floods also boosts its ability to recover from droughts, a study shows.
From the BBC News-2011-3-4:8:5:1
Observatory: Invasive Amphibian Species Upend a Darwin Idea
Darwin believed that when an invasive species encroaches on a closely related species, it will most likely fail because of finite resources. But the opposite seems to be true with amphibians.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-3:14:6:1
VIDEO: Daffodil study shows 'evolution in action'
Scientists in Oxford believe they have solved an age-old botanical mystery, surrounding Wales' national flower.
From the BBC News-2011-3-1:20:6:1
In a Marine Worm’s Eyes, the Theory of Evolution
Researchers said that in the lamp shell, a brachiopod, they discovered an eye that could represent the first step in Darwinian evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2011-3-1:8:5:2
New hope for world's rarest lemur
Greater bamboo lemurs are a step further from extinction as new populations are discovered.
From the BBC News-2011-3-1:8:5:1
Have technological advances brought human evolution to a juddering halt?
From the BBC News-2011-2-28:20:6:1
Amur tigers in population crisis
The world's largest cat is down to an effective wild population of 14 individuals, a genetic study has found.
From the BBC News-2011-2-28:8:5:1
Charles Epstein, Leading Medical Geneticist Injured by Unabomber, Dies at 77
Dr. Charles J. Epstein, best known for his work on Down syndrome, was seriously injured in a 1993 mail bomb attack by Theodore J. Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-24:14:6:1
VIDEO: 'Thunder thighs' dinosaur found
Scientists named a newly discovered dinosaur Brontomerus, or "thunder thighs", because of the huge muscles they think it had.
From the BBC News-2011-2-23:14:6:1
Green: Genetic Code of 'Brown Tides' Cracked
The algae sequenced was from samples taken off the beaches of Long Island, where brown tides continue to pose a threat to shellfish and other marine life.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-22:14:6:2
GM crops 'pass billion hectares'
The use of genetically modified crops continues to spread; cumulatively, more than a billion hectares have been planted in the last 15 years.
From the BBC News-2011-2-22:14:6:1
Green: ‘Dirty’ Energy Thrives in China and India
Talk of the countries' investments in solar and wind power may obscure the reality of an insatiable demand for coal and other fossil fuels.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-21:14:6:1
Dot Earth: Generation Hot Meets Generation Coal
Dueling videos portray a familiar debate between climate campaigners and a defender of fossil fuels.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-19:20:6:1
Key breast cancer 'driver' found
Cancer experts have identified a gene which can cause a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer to develop.
From the BBC News-2011-2-19:8:5:1
A rare but hard-to-treat form of breast cancer is driven by a newly discovered gene, researchers have found.
From the CBC News-2011-2-18:20:6:2
Green: Speedy Evolution, Indeed
In a matter of decades, a rare genetic mutation that allowed a small number of tomcod to tolerate PCB contamination in the Hudson River spread through the broader population, allowing the species to thrive, scientists suggest.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-18:20:6:1
Deflate bubble of genome hype, scientists urge
Don't pin too much hope on the short-term impact of genomic research, a group of scientists is urging everyone.
From the CBC News-2011-2-17:20:6:2
Hudson River Fish Resist PCBs Through Gene Variant
Most people think of evolution occurring gradually over thousands of years, but apparently no one told the Atlantic tomcod.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-17:20:6:1
Dwarfism gene offers cancer protection clue
In remote villages of Ecuador, scientists have found a population that may hold clues to fighting diabetes and cancer.
From the CBC News-2011-2-17:14:6:1
Green: A Lawmaker's Critique of Obama's Energy Stance
Representative Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, head of the House energy and power subcommittee, makes clear that he is lukewarm about the idea of limiting greenhouse gas emissions, getting electricity from renewable sources and weaning the electric system away from its overwhelming reliance on fossil fuels.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-16:20:6:2
Contamination in Genome Databases
Human genetic material found in nonhuman genomes probably came from researchers who prepared the samples, scientists say.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-16:20:6:1
Prostate cancer genome to be decoded
Prostate cancer's genetic mutations will be mapped under a new $20 million Canadian research project that aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
From the CBC News-2011-2-15:14:6:2
Review Faults F.B.I.’s Scientific Work in Anthrax Investigation
A panel of experts says the F.B.I. overstated the strength of genetic analysis linking the anthrax in the 2001 mailings to a supply kept by Dr. Bruce E. Ivins, the late Army microbiologist blamed for the attacks.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-15:14:6:1
A Nationwide Day for Honoring Charles Darwin, but Handled With Caution
The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center set out to make Darwin Day 2011 a day of information, done discreetly.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-15:8:5:1
Green: Obama Budget Upholds Energy Research
The president also asked Congress to do away with billions in tax breaks for fossil fuel interests.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-14:20:6:1
Observatory: Lucy Walked Tall, a Foot Bone Suggests
A fossilized foot bone shows that, like modern humans, the world’s most famous fossil hominid and her kin had arched feet.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-11:14:6:1
AUDIO: Fossil suggests 'Lucy' walked upright
Fossil evidence now seems to confirm that a 3.2 million-year-old ancestor of humans could walk upright consistently - one of the major advances in our evolution.
From the BBC News-2011-2-11:8:5:1
'Lucy' story put on firm footing
Fossil evidence seems to confirm that a three-million-year-old ancestor of ours dubbed Lucy could walk upright consistently - one of the major advances in human evolution.
From the BBC News-2011-2-10:20:6:1
Prostate cancer 'gene test' hope
Experts believe they can develop a genetic screening test that can tell doctors which men with prostate cancer need aggressive treatment.
From the BBC News-2011-2-9:8:5:1
H1N1 vaccine narcolepsy cases in EU reported: WHO
The World Health Organization says genetic factors may have contributed to a spike in narcolepsy cases observed amongchildren in Finland who received the swine flu vaccine Pandemrix.
From the CBC News-2011-2-8:14:6:1
Antarctica's dinosaur jungles holds clues to the future
From the BBC News-2011-2-8:8:5:3
Sleepwalking 'link to chromosome'
US scientists believe they have discovered the genetic code that makes some people sleepwalk.
From the BBC News-2011-2-8:8:5:2
Studying how snakes got legless
A 95-million-year-old fossil snake is helping scientists understand how these creatures lost their legs through the course of evolutionary time.
From the BBC News-2011-2-8:8:5:1
Drugmakers’ Fever for the Power of RNA Interference Has Cooled
Billions of dollars later, some companies are losing their enthusiasm for the technique.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-7:20:6:3
A Conversation With Janet D. Rowley: The Matriarch of Modern Cancer Genetics
Today’s leukemia treatments owe a debt to Dr. Rowley’s 1970s discovery that chromosomes can break apart and switch ends.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-7:20:6:1
On Evolution, Biology Teachers Stray
Researchers found that 28 percent of biology teachers consistently followed the National Research Council recommendations to describe the evidence for evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-7:20:6:2
Observatory: DNA Sheds New Light on Polynesian Migration
A study of mitochondrial DNA indicated that Polynesians were on the move much earlier than previously thought, and from mainland Southeast Asia, not Taiwan.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-7:14:6:1
'Biodiversity breakdown' recorded
Scientists in New Zealand link the modern-day decline of a forest shrub with the local extinction of two pollinating birds over a century ago.
From the BBC News-2011-2-4:8:5:1
Secret found to dinosaur tracks
Computer simulations show how dinosaurs left footprints due to the "Goldilocks effect", say University of Manchester researchers.
From the BBC News-2011-2-3:8:5:1
Observatory: To Defend Against Disease, a Plant Checks the Clock
Researchers found that genes connected with Arabidopsis’s ability to resist infection were expressed from the evening onward, peaking at dawn, when a pathogen was most active.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-2:20:6:1
5 new genes identified linked to Parkinson's
Scientists in Great Britain have identified five new genes linked to Parkinson's disease. Previously six other genes were identified. Experts say this discovery more proof that the disease is sparked by people's genes.
From the CBC News-2011-2-2:14:6:1
Home DNA tests launched in shops
Do-it-yourself DNA tests to settle disputes over who a baby's father is are going on sale in Boots but there are warnings about using the kits.
From the BBC News-2011-2-2:8:5:3
Observatory: Pneumonia DNA Morphs To Dodge Vaccines
Over 30 years, a strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae spread across the world and turned over about three quarters of its genome, researchers say.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-2:8:5:1
More gene clues to Parkinson's
Genes play a bigger role in Parkinson's disease than previously thought, according to the largest genetic analysis yet.
From the BBC News-2011-2-2:8:5:2
Green: Are We Hard-Wired to Doubt Science?
An author suggests that human evolution may explain why people reject scientific conclusions that counter their instinctive belief that someone or something is out to get them.
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-1:14:6:2
Green: Natural Gas: It's Not Easy Being Green
Natural gas has advantages over other fossil fuels. The question is, how great are those advantages, and under what conditions are they best obtained?
From the NYTimes News-2011-2-1:14:6:1
Observatory: Add Gray Wolf to List of Canines in Africa
Researchers studying jackals in the Ethiopian highlands were surprised to find wolf DNA instead.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-31:14:6:1
Frogs re-evolved lost lower teeth
Frogs re-evolved "lost" bottom teeth after more than 200 million years, according to new research.
From the BBC News-2011-1-31:12:35:1
The Saturday Profile: A U.S.-China Odyssey: Building a Better Mouse Map
The geneticist Xu Tian splits his time between Yale and China to pursue the key to what makes a mouse tick, gene by gene, and its implications for humans.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-29:8:5:1
Observatory: With Sleight of DNA, Pneumonia Bacterium Dodges Vaccines
Over 30 years, a strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae spread across the world and turned over about three quarters of its genome, researchers say.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-28:14:6:2
Dog is wolf in jackal's clothing
DNA analysis has shown that the Egyptian jackal, previously believed to be a subspecies of the golden jackal, is actually a relative of the grey wolf.
From the BBC News-2011-1-28:14:6:1
Observatory: Altering a Mouse Gene Turns Up Aggression, Study Says
Mice with an inactivated paternal version of the Grb10 gene engaged in more social grooming, nibbled off more fur and whiskers of other mice, and were less likely to back down in a confrontation.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-27:20:6:1
Orangutan genome 'evolved slowly'
Scientists have released a draft sequence of the orang-utan genome, revealing intriguing clues to the evolution of great apes and humans.
From the BBC News-2011-1-27:8:5:1
Mosquito field test to curb dengue in Malaysia
Malaysia released about 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes into a forest in the first experiment of its kind in Asia aimed at curbing dengue fever.
From the CBC News-2011-1-26:14:6:2
Scientist at Work: Spider Monkey Fathers
With a combination of DNA samples and GPS collars, researchers can track the behavior of father-son pairs of spider monkeys in the Ecuadorean forest.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-26:14:6:1
Nonfiction: Nabokov Theory on Butterfly Evolution Is Vindicated
When he was not writing novels, Nabokov studied butterflies, and he came up with a sweeping hypothesis that, 65 years later, DNA analysis has proven correct.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-25:20:6:1
Dot Earth: Gas Leaks on the Path to a Post-Fossil Future
More evidence that leaks from wells and pipes blunt the climate value of natural gas and that industry needs to tighten up its act.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-25:14:6:1
Lack of Sex Among Grapes Tangles a Family Vine
An unnatural abstinence threatens to sap the grape’s genetic health and the future pleasure of millions of oenophiles.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-24:20:6:1
Iran's rare cheetahs are unique
Iran's critically endangered cheetahs are the last remaining survivors of a unique subspecies, genetics experts reveal.
From the BBC News-2011-1-24:8:5:2
Blocking gene stops cancer spread
A gene which encourages cancers to spread around the body has been discovered by the University of East Anglia.
From the BBC News-2011-1-24:8:5:1
Two forms of world's 'newest' cat
The newest cat species described to science, the Sunda clouded leopard, actually exists in two distinct forms, bone and genetic analyses reveal.
From the BBC News-2011-1-22:20:6:1
Scientist at Work: Last Look at Mush Valley
We have finished our work in Ethiopia, having collected a vast array of fossils that is noteworthy for its lack of palm specimens.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-21:14:6:1
Observatory: A 160-Million-Year-Old Pterosaur and Its Egg Are Discovered
The fossil of a species of flying reptile that coexisted with dinosaurs is the first female of its kind to be associated with an egg.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-21:14:6:2
Fossil reptile with egg uncovered
A 160-million-year-old Chinese fossil of a flying reptile preserved with an egg allows scientists to sex pterosaurs for the first time.
From the BBC News-2011-1-21:8:5:1
Green: On Our Radar: Senator Seeks Ban on 'Frankenfish'
An politician describes genetically modified fish as a "monster" that threatens wild stocks.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-19:20:6:1
Green: Tiny Flower Saved from Extinction
In 1985, only seven known Maguire daisy plants were still living; today, biologists estimate that there are 163,000 in southeastern Utah.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-18:20:6:1
Cases: When All Isn’t Enough to Foil Alzheimer’s
A neurologist whose father had Alzheimer’s did everything he could to stave off what he believed was a genetic inevitability.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-17:20:6:4
People pick friends with similar genes
A person's friends tend to share certain genes in common with each other - but not always with the individual, a new study suggests.
From the CBC News-2011-1-17:20:6:5
Wine's future 'needs new grapes'
Maps of the grape genome can provide wine-growers with the new varieties they will need to deal with disease and regulations, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2011-1-17:20:6:1
Findings: Heavy Doses of DNA Data, With Few Side Effects
Most people say they’ll pay for genetic tests even if the predictions are sometimes wrong, and most people don’t seem to be traumatized even when they receive bad news.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-17:20:6:3
Genetics 'has role in friendship'
Researchers in the US say they have uncovered tentative evidence of a genetic component to friendship.
From the BBC News-2011-1-17:20:6:2
Chickens bred to thwart bird flu spread
Scientists have genetically engineered chickens that can't spread bird flu to their neighbours.
From the CBC News-2011-1-13:20:6:2
GM chickens 'made to resist flu'
UK scientists have created the world's first genetically modified chickens that do not spread bird flu.
From the BBC News-2011-1-13:20:6:1
DNA tests don't cause undue anxiety: major study
A U.S. study shows that DNA tests don't cause additional anxiety or cause people to seek a better lifestyle.
From the CBC News-2011-1-13:14:6:1
Single plant 'conquered America'
A single peat moss has colonised sites across America with genetically identical offspring, producing arguably the most genetically uniform widespread group of plants known.
From the BBC News-2011-1-13:8:5:1
Down syndrome blood screening advances made
An experimental DNA blood screening could eventually cut down on the number of invasive tests such as amniocentesis, researchers hope.
From the CBC News-2011-1-12:20:6:1
Green: On Our Radar: U.S. Chamber Backs Growth of Fossil Fuels
A "world without fossil fuels" is "simply not America's energy reality," an official says.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-11:14:6:1
Observatory: Life Span of Early Man Same as Neanderthals’
New research suggests that longer life was not what helped the population of early modern humans increase as Neanderthals dwindled to extinction.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-10:20:6:4
Scientist at Work: Glimpses of an Ancient Forest Amid the Shales
A research team in Ethiopia has been finding large fossils of leaves, including elephant ear plants, in enormous blocks of shale.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-10:20:6:2
Cancer Can Develop in Catastrophic Burst
If a cell survives the disaster of a whole chromosome shattering, the cell may become cancerous, according to a new report.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-10:20:6:3
RNA Game Lets Players Help Find a Biological Prize
Scientists are harnessing the wisdom of crowds with an online video game that challenges players to design new ways to fold RNA molecules.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-10:20:6:1
Observatory: Bones Show Early Divergence of Dinosaur Lineage
The fossils of a theropod from 215 million years ago, unearthed in New Mexico, support the idea that the major types of dinosaurs evolved early on.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-9:20:6:2
Observatory: Flies Get Tipsy and Aid the Study of Addiction
By exposing fruit flies to alcohol, researchers hope to gain genetic insight into human behavior.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-9:20:6:1
Ammonite diet revealed in X-rays
Scientists use X-rays to establish the feeding habits of everyone's favourite fossils - the ammonites.
From the BBC News-2011-1-6:20:6:1
Can crime scene DNA help paint a portrait of a suspect?
From the BBC News-2011-1-6:8:5:1
In a Giant’s Story, a New Chapter Writ by His DNA
A 7-foot-7 Irishman famous in the 18th century may have had a mutation probably shared by 200-300 people today.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-5:20:6:1
Kidney disorder gene also behind OCD
Australian scientists have made a discovery that may lead to a simple way of identifying a common and debilitating anxiety disorder.
From the CBC News-2011-1-5:14:6:1
Taking DNA Sequencing to the Masses
Jonathan Rothberg has created several companies that lower the cost of DNA sequencing and broaden its usage.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-5:8:5:2
'Enviropigs': GM animals for food
The BBC's Jeremy Cooke visits genetically modified pigs in Canada that have been designed for human consumption.
From the BBC News-2011-1-5:8:5:1
Hair colour predicted from genes
Scientists say they can now predict a person's hair colour using only markers in their DNA.
From the BBC News-2011-1-4:14:6:1
Scientist at Work: 22-Million-Year-Old Fossils
New discoveries in the Mush Valley in Ethiopia include 22-million-year-old fossils of mammals as well as evidence of leaf consumption by insects.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-4:14:6:2
Scientist at Work: Eureka! A Fossil Bone, and Water Ferns to Boot
The fossil-digging party arrives at its campsite in the Mush Valley and is immediately rewarded with fresh finds.
From the NYTimes News-2011-1-3:20:6:1
Ancestor faced sabretooth threat
Humankind's oldest known ancestor probably lived in fear of large sabretooth cats, new fossil finds suggest.
From the BBC News-2011-1-3:8:5:1