Neanderthal genome may hold clues to human survival
It's the time of year when people take stock of the past 12 months and make resolutions for the future. That's kind of what Svante Paabo is doing - but the Swedish archeological geneticist is looking over a time span of 30,000 years.
From the CBC News-2012-12-29:8:5:1
US man admits dinosaur smuggling
A fossils dealer admits smuggling dinosaur bones into the US, including the skeleton of a 70 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus bataar from Mongolia.
From the BBC News-2012-12-28:8:5:1
News Analysis: Scientists to Seek Clues to Violence in Genome of Gunman in Newtown, Conn.
As geneticists plan to study the DNA of a mass killer in hopes of eventually preventing rampages, some researchers question what good could come of the findings.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-24:20:6:1
Genetic Gamble : Drugs Aim to Make Several Types of Cancer Self-Destruct
Three pharmaceutical firms are trying to restore a mechanism that normally tells cells to die if their DNA is badly damaged, an approach that might work against half of all cancers.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-23:8:5:1
Gene-Altered Fish Moves Closer to Federal Approval
The Food and Drug Administration concluded that a genetically engineered salmon would have “no significant impact” on the environment.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-22:8:5:1
FDA says Newfoundland's 'Frankenfish' unlikely to be harmful
Federal health regulators say a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption.
From the CBC News-2012-12-21:20:6:1
Alberta scientist finds freshwater lizard fossil in Hungary
It grew up to six metres long and its toothy mouth and crocodile-like body was the terror of ancient rivers and shorelines many millions of years ago.
From the CBC News-2012-12-20:14:6:1
US researchers say that fighting may have contributed to the evolution of the human hand into a strong, buttressed structure when made into a fist.
From the BBC News-2012-12-20:8:5:1
Observatory: Fossils of New Species Discovered in England
A tiny, fossilized crustacean that lived 425 million years ago has been discovered, remarkably intact, in a rock formation in Herefordshire, England.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-17:20:6:1
Mislabeled Foods Find Their Way to Diners' Tables
Using genetic testing, an ocean conservation group found that nearly 40 percent of the seafood from 81 grocery stores and restaurants was not what the establishment claimed it was.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-16:8:5:1
A Forensic Tool Helps Decide Guilt or Innocence
Two scientists invented a controversial software program that can analyze a mixture of DNA from a crime scene and determine the probability that it could include a suspect's profile.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-16:8:5:2
Primatologist warns of possible great ape extinction
Great apes, humans' closest relatives, are nearing extinction and people should fear losing the biological knowledge that would die along with them, a primatologist says.
From the CBC News-2012-12-14:14:6:1
Ash fungus genetic data released
The first genetic data on the fungus afflicting British ash trees is released on the web to help research efforts.
From the BBC News-2012-12-14:8:5:1
Lizards, snakes almost went extinct with dinosaurs
Contrary to previous understanding, lizards and snakes were nearly wiped out along with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, say researchers.
From the CBC News-2012-12-12:14:6:1
Shrimp fossil-find 'new species'
Fossils discovered close to the Welsh border in Herefordshire are new to science, say experts at the University of Leicester.
From the BBC News-2012-12-12:8:5:1
Extinct lizard named after Obama
Research into the extinction that killed off the dinosaurs describes nine previously unknown reptile species, one of which has been named after US President Barack Obama.
From the BBC News-2012-12-11:14:6:1
Tests Call Mislabeled Fish a Widespread Problem in New York
The conservation group Oceana said that genetic analyses showed 39 percent of nearly 150 samples of fresh seafood collected from 81 establishments in the city were mislabeled.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-11:8:5:2
Honey bees' genetic code unlocked
Researchers believe they have unlocked the genetic secrets as to why honey bees are so sensitive to environmental change.
From the BBC News-2012-12-11:8:5:1
Observatory: Genomic Study Traces Roma to Northern India
A wide-ranging genomic study appears to confirm that the Roma people of Europe came from a single group that left northwestern India about 1,500 years ago.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-10:20:6:1
A Breakthrough Against Leukemia Using Altered T-Cells
A young girl has been in full remission for months after scientists used a disabled form of the AIDS virus to genetically reprogram her immune system to kill cancer cells.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-9:20:6:1
We all have hundreds of DNA flaws
Everyone has on average 400 flaws in their DNA, a study of 1000 individuals' genomes suggests - though most will not affect an individual's health.
From the BBC News-2012-12-7:8:5:1
Genetically modified mosquitoes considered in Florida
Mosquito control officials in the Florida Keys are waiting for the federal government to sign off on an experiment that would release hundreds of thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes to reduce the risk of dengue fever in the tourist town of Key West.
From the CBC News-2012-12-6:14:6:1
Fossil find could be world's oldest dinosaur
A creature about the size of a Labrador retriever with a 1.5-metre-long tail could be the earliest-known dinosaur to have walked the Earth, according to scientists.
From the CBC News-2012-12-5:20:6:1
New contender for oldest dinosaur
Palaeontologists identify what is likely to be the oldest known dinosaur specimen, patching a 10-15-million-year hole in dinosaurs' evolutionary history.
From the BBC News-2012-12-4:20:6:1
Fossil raindrops probe early air
The imprints of raindrops preserved in 2.7bn-year-old rock are being used to figure out what the atmosphere was like on the early Earth.
From the BBC News-2012-12-4:14:6:1
'Binge-drinking gene' discovered
Scientists believe some people are born with a gene that makes them hard-wired for binge drinking by boosting levels of the happy brain chemical dopamine.
From the BBC News-2012-12-4:8:5:1
John Wayne Gacy DNA could help solve cold cases
A Chicago-area sherriff's department hopes to find matches of DNA evidence from hair, blood and semen, or skin under the fingernails of victims, that could link long-dead killers, such as John Wayne Gacy, to the coldest of cold cases.
From the CBC News-2012-12-3:14:6:2
Test to confirm twin seals birth
DNA tests hope to confirm the first ever birth of twin seals on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast.
From the BBC News-2012-12-3:14:6:1
Farish Jenkins, Fossils Expert, Dies at 72
Dr. Jenkins discovered fossilized fish, hundreds of millions of years old, that resembled early mammals.
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-1:8:5:2
Supreme Court Takes Up Question of Gene Research
The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it would decide whether human genes may be patented, setting out to tackle the legal question if isolated genes are “human-made inventions” or “products of nature.”
From the NYTimes News-2012-12-1:8:5:1
Evolution key to free school deal
Any attempt to present as fact the view that God made the world could lead to new free schools losing their government funding.
From the BBC News-2012-11-30:8:5:1
Key wheat genetic codes unlocked
Scientists unlock key parts of the complex genetic code of wheat, one of the world's most important crops, which could help improve food security.
From the BBC News-2012-11-28:14:6:1
VIDEO: Scientists print out human genome
Scientists at the University of Leicester print the human genome in 130 volumes to show how much information it takes up.
From the BBC News-2012-11-28:8:5:1
Sweeter, juicier watermelons possible with genome info
An international team has managed to sequence the watermelon genome in the hopes that it could help create a sweeter, more nutritious and more disease-resistant fruit.
From the CBC News-2012-11-27:20:6:1
Quirks and Quarks: Can synthetic biology save the world?
The emerging field of synthetic biology takes lab-created DNA to a new level by inserting the DNA into a cell to create synthetic life.
From the CBC News-2012-11-26:20:6:2
Essay: Biblical Literalists’ Clash With Science
By allowing that evolution is a theory, scientists would hand fundamentalists the fig leaf they need to insist, at least among themselves, that the Bible is the literal, not metaphorical, truth.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-26:20:6:1
'Huddle' gene link to infertility
A study of fruit flies at Edinburgh University identifies a gene which scientists say could help solve infertility in humans.
From the BBC News-2012-11-26:8:5:1
Green Blog: Another Path to Biofuels
At a sugar plantation in Brazil, a company will use genetically modified algae that eats carbon dioxide from sugar and excretes ethanol.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-23:14:6:1
Gene variant predicts time of death
Scientists who study genetic mutations and the body's "circadian clock" say they have found a variant that determines the time of day a person is most likely to die.
From the CBC News-2012-11-20:14:6:1
Observatory: Link to Oldest Ancestor of Panda Bear Found in Spain
Researchers found 11.6 million-year-old fossil jaws and teeth in Spain that bear a strong resemblance to the giant panda, which is now found solely in China.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-20:8:5:2
New deadly virus may be 'bat bug'
Bats may be the source of a new Sars-like virus which killed a man in Saudi Arabia, according to an analysis of the coronavirus' genome.
From the BBC News-2012-11-20:8:5:1
Apes can also have a 'midlife crisis,' study finds
Great apes can experience a "midlife crisis" which suggests the human tendency toward midlife discontent may have been passed on through evolution, a new study finds.
From the CBC News-2012-11-19:20:6:1
Ashlyn Blocker, the Girl Who Feels No Pain
Ashlyn Blocker has a rare genetic condition that prevents her from feeling pain. But that doesn’t mean she can’t get hurt.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-18:8:5:1
Brazil to clone its endangered species
Brazilian researchers are turning to cloning to help fight the perilous decline of several animal species.
From the CBC News-2012-11-15:20:6:1
Alzheimer’s Tied to Mutation Harming Immune Response
A mutation to a gene, TREM2, is suspected of interfering with the brain’s ability to prevent the buildup of toxic shards of a protein that accumulate in plaques on the brain.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-15:8:5:1
Recurring Lyme Disease Symptoms Caused by New Infection, Study Finds
Research comparing the genetic signatures of Lyme bacteria in people who had the disease more than once challenges the notion that it has a tendency to turn into a chronic illness.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-15:8:5:2
DNA research stops MRSA outbreak
An outbreak of the hospital superbug MRSA has been brought to an end by UK doctors cracking the bacterium's genetic code.
From the BBC News-2012-11-14:8:5:2
Great whites 'not from megashark'
A new fossil discovery has helped quell 150 years of debate over the origin of great white sharks.
From the BBC News-2012-11-14:8:5:1
Books on Science: ‘The Double Helix’ Review - Twists in the Tale of the Great DNA Discovery
A new annotated and illustrated edition of James Watson’s book “The Double Helix” adds interesting details about the rivalries in the race to decode the structure of DNA.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-12:20:6:1
DNA tests for rare birch trees
The DNA of endangered trees from the Caucasus Mountains will be analysed by a botanist in a bid to find out more about their evolution.
From the BBC News-2012-11-12:8:5:1
Opinion: I Cry, Therefore I Am
Shedding tears of emotion was vital for human evolution and the rise of cultures.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-11:8:5:1
Coffee beans in danger of extinction
A new study by British and Ethiopian researchers warns the Arabica beans that go into 70% of the world's coffee could be wiped out by 2080.
From the CBC News-2012-11-9:20:6:1
Fossil from 60M years ago found on Olds campus
An employee at Olds College, north of Calgary, has found an ancient fossil.
From the CBC News-2012-11-9:14:6:1
Canada's newest dinosaur an 'alien-horned' beast
Scientists have come up with a likeness of Canada's newest dinosaur, a fierce-looking horned creature that roamed southern Alberta almost 80 million years ago.
From the CBC News-2012-11-8:20:6:1
Alberta dinosaur hunter receives national honour
A local legend in paleontology is now the recipient of a major national honour.
From the CBC News-2012-11-8:14:6:3
Dot Earth Blog: California Votes No on 37: Flawed Proposition on Food Labeling
A California initiative aimed at labeling some genetically engineered foods is defeated, but a discussion of transparency is begun.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-8:14:6:2
Climate threat to coffee crops
Climate change could lead to the extinction of wild Arabica coffee before the end of the century, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-11-8:14:6:1
Saliva reduces pain of DNA collection
Saliva could provide a less painful and more convenient way of collecting DNA for research, scientists say.
From the CBC News-2012-11-7:14:6:2
Project to count Scots redheads
A project is launched which aims to find out how many people in Scotland carry the red hair gene.
From the BBC News-2012-11-7:14:6:1
VIDEO: DNA machine tests ash trees for disease
Portable DNA tests, that quickly diagnose ash dieback, are being used in an effort to stop spread of the deadly fungus
From the BBC News-2012-11-6:20:6:1
Leaving our mark: Fossils of the future
What sort of mark will humankind leave on Earth's geology
From the BBC News-2012-11-3:8:5:1
Arthur R. Jensen, Who Set Off Debate on I.Q., Dies
Mr. Jensen was an educational psychologist whose 1969 article suggested that the gap in intelligence-test scores between black and white students might be rooted in genetic differences.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-2:8:5:1
Discovery of beer gene could improve 'foam character'
Scientists have found the first gene for beer foam, a discovery which they say will help researchers perfect the frothy "head" atop a freshly poured pint.
From the CBC News-2012-11-1:20:6:2
Genetically Altered Lab Rats at N.Y.U. Die in Flooding
Thousands of painstakingly-bred rodents used in the study of heart disease, cancer and mental disorders drowned at a New York University research center in Kips Bay.
From the NYTimes News-2012-11-1:20:6:1
Birds evolving faster in Americas, study says
The rate of evolution of birds appears to be accelerating, particularly in North and South America, says new research based on a genetic family tree of every bird species known to man.
From the CBC News-2012-11-1:14:6:1
Mexico City Journal: Axolotls, Mexico's Mythical Salamander, Struggle in the Wild
The decline of the axolotl in the wild has been precipitous, and its extinction would end one of the few natural links Mexicans still have with the city that the Aztecs built.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-31:8:5:2
Earliest fossil flying fish found
New flying fish fossils found in China reveal earliest evidence of over-water gliding in vertebrates.
From the BBC News-2012-10-31:8:5:1
Remarkable Creatures: For North Dakota Paleontologist, It Started With a Turtle
Tyler Lyson of Marmarth, N.D., discovered his first fossil in the badlands as a youngster and went on to earn a Ph.D. and get a job at the Smithsonian.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-29:20:6:1
Some Exhibits at Natural History Museum Are Only Seen by Researchers
While the American Museum of Natural History is known for its public exhibits, much important work is done behind the scenes, using tools like DNA sequencing and computer analysis.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-28:8:5:1
Rarest dog genetically vulnerable
Populations of the world's rarest dog, the Ethiopian wolf, are genetically fragmenting, scientists have found.
From the BBC News-2012-10-26:8:5:1
Dinosaur feathers likely for sex not flying
A set of 70-million-year-old fossils from southern Alberta has added weight to theories that dinosaurs may have first sprouted feathers to show off, not take off.
From the CBC News-2012-10-25:20:6:1
Green Blog: Insights Into the Koala's Genetic Challenge
The decline in genetic diversity in Australia's koalas apparently was not set off by a boom in fur-trapping in the 19th century.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-24:20:6:1
Embryo from 2 women and 1 man made in lab
Scientists create embryos with genes from one man and two women
From the CBC News-2012-10-24:20:6:2
Mind: If Intelligence Is the Norm, Stupidity Gets More Interesting
One researcher wonders if scientists, instead of seeking genes that can account for intelligence, should be trying to find mutations that can erode it.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-22:20:6:2
Observatory: Isolated Male Orangutans Travel Far to Mate
Orangutans in Sumatra live in increasingly small patches of rain forest, but a study shows males cross rivers and mountainous areas to find mates, improving genetic diversity.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-22:20:6:1
Global warming may take ocean sounds back to dinosaur era
Global warming may be changing ocean sounds, taking them back to the acoustics of more than 100 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, new research suggests.
From the CBC News-2012-10-19:14:6:1
Green Blog: Living on the Edge May Help Cheat Extinction
Fishes previously thought to be extinct found refuge in harsh edge environments dividing Lake Victoria from surrounding wetlands
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-19:8:5:1
Madagascar palms 'are dying out'
Close to 85% of Madagascar's 192 palm species face extinction due to land clearing, an environment protection group warns.
From the BBC News-2012-10-17:20:6:1
Monkey, gorilla species on brink of extinction
Twenty-five species of monkeys, langurs, lemurs and gorillas are on the brink of extinction and need global action to protect them from increasing deforestation and illegal trafficking, researchers say.
From the CBC News-2012-10-15:8:5:1
Keith Campbell, Cloner of Dolly the Sheep, Dies at 58
Dr. Campbell, a British cell biologist, helped create Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult animal.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-12:14:6:1
Billions required to save nature
Reducing the risk of extinction for threatened species and establishing protected areas for nature will cost the world over $76bn annually.
From the BBC News-2012-10-12:8:5:1
Keith Campbell, Creator of Dolly the Cloned Sheep, Dies at 58
Dr. Campbell, a British cell biologist, helped create Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult animal.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-12:8:5:2
Green Blog: In the Dark Cave, Fearsome Living Fossils
Visitors explore an imperiled 100-million-year-old wildlife habitat in Malaysia. Its survival is tenuous.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-9:14:6:1
VIDEO: Nobel win for stem cell pioneers
Two pioneers of stem cell research have shared the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology.
From the BBC News-2012-10-8:20:6:1
Cloning and Stem Cell Discoveries Earn Nobel Prize in Medicine
The landmark discoveries in cell development by scientists in England and Japan came 40 years apart.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-8:14:6:2
VIDEO: Rare turtle fossil found in landfill
Scientists have discovered a rare early turtle fossil in a landfill site in Poland, possibly dating back to the late Triassic period around 215 million years ago.
From the BBC News-2012-10-8:14:6:1
Stem cell experts win Nobel prize
Two pioneers of stem cell research have shared the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology.
From the BBC News-2012-10-8:8:5:1
Tiny, fanged dinosaur may have eaten fruit
A tiny, plant-eating dinosaur with sharp fangs, a parrot-like beak and quills has been identified by a U.S. paleontologist.
From the CBC News-2012-10-4:14:6:2
Dwarf 'vampire' dino ate plants
A bizarre dinosaur described as a cross between "a bird, a vampire and a porcupine" has been identified from fossils in South Africa.
From the BBC News-2012-10-4:14:6:1
New Test of Babies' DNA Speeds Diagnosis
A new method for analyzing newborns' genetic histories sped the process of zeroing in on a disease-causing mutation from weeks or months to a couple of days.
From the NYTimes News-2012-10-4:8:5:2
Ill baby DNA test cut to 50 hours
Doctors in the US say they have taken a big step forward in the speed of analysing the DNA of seriously ill babies with genetic diseases.
From the BBC News-2012-10-4:8:5:1
Genetically modified cow produces allergy-free milk
New Zealand researchers have genetically engineered a cow to produce milk free of the protein that causes allergies in children.
From the CBC News-2012-10-2:14:6:1
GM cows make 'low allergy' milk
A genetically modified cow which produces milk less likely to cause allergic reactions has been engineered by New Zealand scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-10-1:20:6:1
Leonard Lerman, Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87
Mr. Lerman, a molecular biologist, discovered how to manipulate DNA, and in doing so, helped other scientists further pursue the genetic code.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-30:8:5:1
Wallace works collected online
The collected writings and drawings of Alfred Russel Wallace, who formulated evolutionary theory independently of Darwin, are digitised and posted online.
From the BBC News-2012-9-27:20:6:1
Breast cancer scientists excited by new 'map'
A type of breast cancer has been found to have genetic similarities to ovarian cancer tumours.
From the CBC News-2012-9-25:14:6:2
Green Blog: Rare Trout Survives in Just One Stream, DNA Reveals
Researchers had thought that five wild populations of greenback cutthroat trout were out there.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-25:14:6:1
'Science Guy' Bill Nye condemns teaching creationism
The man known to a generation of Americans as "The Science Guy" is condemning efforts by some Christian groups to cast doubts on evolution and lawmakers who want to bring the Bible into science classrooms.
From the CBC News-2012-9-24:8:5:1
Gene map shows brain blueprint
A 3D map of the entire human brain reveals that our brains are strikingly similar, sharing the same basic molecular blueprint.
From the BBC News-2012-9-21:14:6:1
Observatory: The Gene Behind Cheetahs' Spots and Tabbies' Stripes
The gene that produces the striking dark stripes on tabby cats is also responsible for the spots on cheetahs, a new study reports.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-20:20:6:1
Dot Earth Blog: Single-Study Syndrome and the G.M.O. Food Fight
Scientists raise many questions about a new study finding health problems in rats fed genetically modified corn, but it is widely promoted nonetheless.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-20:14:6:1
Disputed Study Links Modified Corn to Greater Health Risks
A study that linked genetically engineered corn to cancer in rats was criticized by some scientists but was seized on by backers of a California ballot measure to require labeling for genetically modified crops.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-20:8:5:2
Oyster genome mystery unravelled
A detailed map of the genome of the Pacific oyster has been unveiled by international scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-9-20:8:5:1
Furore greets GM-fed rat study
A furious row erupts over a study claiming to have found tumours and other problems in rats fed on genetically modified maize and exposed to a common herbicide.
From the BBC News-2012-9-19:14:6:1
Neanderthals 'harvested feathers'
Our evolutionary cousins the Neanderthals were harvesting feathers from birds to use as personal ornaments, according to a new study.
From the BBC News-2012-9-17:20:6:1
Genes for face shape identified
Scientists identify five genes that determine the form of the human face in a find that could lead to sketches
From the BBC News-2012-9-13:20:6:1
DNA tests on 'Richard III' bones
Archaeologists searching for the grave of Richard III say there is "strong evidence" human remains found in Leicester could belong to the king.
From the BBC News-2012-9-12:14:6:1
Coalition Drops Opposition to Dow's Genetically Engineered Crops
The group, which included canners and other food industry members, said it was heartened by Dow's response to its concerns.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-12:8:5:1
Found Mammoth parts raise hopes of 'Jurassic Park' cloning
Scientists have discovered well-preserved frozen woolly mammoth fragments deep in Siberia that may contain living cells, edging a tad closer to the "Jurassic Park" possibility of cloning a prehistoric animal, the mission's organizer said.
From the CBC News-2012-9-11:20:6:1
In pictures: 100 most threatened species
Pictures of species considered close to extinction
From the BBC News-2012-9-11:14:6:1
Home genetic testing for alcoholism carries perils
Being told you have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism could make you feel you have less control over your drinking, a new study suggests.
From the CBC News-2012-9-11:14:6:2
Scientists Find Gene Can Explain Horses' Ability to Pace
Researchers in Sweden have discovered a single gene that could explain why some horses can trot or pace and why others cannot, a finding that could greatly affect harness racing.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-11:8:5:1
Observatory: Volcanic Eruption May Have Caused Marine Life Extinction
A volcanic eruption in India may have been responsible for the disappearance of many marine animals about 200,000 years before the dinosaurs met their end.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-10:20:6:1
For a Lung Cancer, Drug Treatment May Be Within Reach
Research on a common lung cancer could foretell a type of treatment in which drugs - many of which are in the pipeline already - are chosen to match the genetic mutation in each patient.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-10:8:5:1
Fossil records 'crab' death march
The behaviour of an ancient horseshoe crab in its final moments before death has been captured in the fossil record.
From the BBC News-2012-9-7:14:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Gone Fishin'
An abundance of fossil tracks reveals footprints that show crocodilians and small dinosaurs inhabited the same environments at the same time.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-7:8:5:1
'Junk DNA' has a purpose, new map of human genome reveals
Vast sections of the human genome that were previously thought to have no useful function and were dismissed as "junk DNA" are in fact involved in key biochemical processes, an international team has found.
From the CBC News-2012-9-5:20:6:1
VIDEO: Genome 'more active than thought'
The most detailed study yet of the human genome, involving the work of more than 400 scientists in 32 laboratories across five countries, has been published.
From the BBC News-2012-9-5:14:6:2
Far From ‘Junk,' DNA Dark Matter Proves Crucial to Health
At least four million gene switches that reside in bits of DNA once thought to be inactive turn out to play critical roles in health, researchers reported.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-5:14:6:3
Detailed map of genome function
Scientists have published the most detailed analysis to date of the human genome, which could lead to better treatments for many diseases.
From the BBC News-2012-9-5:14:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Cool Fossils and Hot Rocks
The expedition uncovers vestiges of the Cold War and the age of phytosaurs in the Chinle Formation of Utah.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-5:8:5:1
Observatory: Different Varieties of Mustard Plants Have Unique Spice Genes
Very slight differences in a family of genes regulating spiciness in wild mustard plants determine not only the degree of heat but also a plant's prospects of survival.
From the NYTimes News-2012-9-3:20:6:1
Last stand of the spider tortoise
Will Madagascar's spider tortoises be eaten to extinction?
From the BBC News-2012-9-2:20:6:1
Genome of Denisovan cave girl sheds light on human ancestry
Scientists have sequenced the complete genome of a Denisovan, an ancient human, from a tiny finger bone fragment from a young girl who lived between 74,000 and 82,000 years ago.
From the CBC News-2012-8-31:20:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Fossils in the First Days
Excavation of a fossil site that was discovered last year in Utah yields phytosaur remains, fish jaws, footprints of early dinosaurs and other reptiles, and bony armor from aetosaurs.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-31:8:5:4
DNA test jailed innocent man for murder
Does criminal justice system place too much faith in DNA?
From the BBC News-2012-8-31:8:5:3
'Spineless' animals under threat
A fifth of animals without backbones could be at risk of extinction, according to scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-8-31:8:5:2
Cave girl's DNA gives up secrets
Scientists analyse the DNA of an 80,000-year-old Denisovan girl, shedding more light on her relation to our closest extinct evolutionary kin.
From the BBC News-2012-8-31:8:5:1
Predatory dinosaur fed on smaller versions of itself
Paleontologists at the University of Alberta have found evidence inside the stomachs of two fossilized dinosaurs of the species Sinocalliopteryx gigas that suggests the raptor-like predator did not shy away from feeding on its own kind, hunting small flying dinosaurs for food.
From the CBC News-2012-8-30:20:6:1
Small dinosaur 'hunted like cat'
Some predatory dinosaurs used guile and agility to outwit their feathered prey according to research published in PLoS One.
From the BBC News-2012-8-30:14:6:1
Genetic test to identify wildcats
With claims that big cats are stalking the countryside, researchers are developing a DNA test to identify Scotland's pure-bred wildcats.
From the BBC News-2012-8-29:14:6:2
Chimp grooming postcode lottery
Chimpanzee grooming habits are influenced more by where they live than by genetic or ecological influences, according to research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
From the BBC News-2012-8-29:14:6:1
Amber drops yield ancient mites
Some of the earliest fossils of pre-historic arthropods - dating to about 230 million years - have been discovered entombed in amber.
From the BBC News-2012-8-28:14:6:1
Remarkable Creatures: Animals' Lifestyles Evolve When Old Genes Learn New Tricks
Recent studies on how some snakes and other animals detect infrared light provide striking examples of how new lifestyles can evolve when old genes learn new tricks.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-27:20:6:1
Letters: Genes and Memory (1 Letter)
A letter to the Editor.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-27:20:6:2
With Rise of Gene Sequencing, Ethical Puzzles
Much genetic research is predicated on study subjects being anonymous, but increasingly researchers are discovering things these subjects, or their relatives, might need or like to know.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-26:8:5:1
Test predicts hair and eye colour
Scientists have developed a forensic test that can predict both the hair and eye colour of a possible suspect using DNA left at a crime scene.
From the BBC News-2012-8-24:14:6:1
Genome Detectives Solve Mystery of Hospital’s K. Pneumoniae Outbreak
Real-time genome sequencing helped a federal research hospital understand and end an outbreak of a drug-resistant bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, that killed six patients.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-22:20:6:3
Father’s Age Is Linked to Risk of Autism and Schizophrenia
Random genetic mutations in children that become more numerous with advancing paternal age may account for as many as 30 percent of autism cases, researchers reported.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-22:20:6:2
GM rice 'thrives in poor soils'
Scientists genetically engineered strains of rice that can thrive in soils low in important nutrients.
From the BBC News-2012-8-22:20:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: A Parade of Spinning Dolphins
Researchers in Samoa observe dozens of spinner dolphins before spotting a group of bottlenose dolphins and collecting a few genetic samples.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-22:8:5:1
Clues to Fighting Cancer Are Found in the Genes of Yeast
A team of biologists has found surprising links between the biology of humans and that of our most distant relatives — links that point the way to new drugs.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-21:8:5:1
Essay: In Andalusia, Searching for Inherited Memories
Can a person "remember" the lives of forebears? Can genes carry the burden of generations? A reporter follow clues of a secret identity of Sephardic Jewish ancestors who fled the Inquisition.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-17:20:6:2
Brain Evidence Sways Sentencing in Study of Judges
Judges who were told that a defendant in a hypothetical case was genetically predisposed to violence imposed lighter sentences than they otherwise would have, researchers reported.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-16:20:6:1
Dog stumbles upon 300 million-year-old fossil
A family and their dog named Kitty have stumbled upon one of the most significant fossil finds ever in Nova Scotia.
From the CBC News-2012-8-16:20:6:2
Neanderthals, humans didn't make whoopee, study says
Primitive Homo sapiens and Neanderthals didn't produce children together despite swaths of shared DNA, scientists now say, casting doubt on a popular idea about the origin of modern humans.
From the CBC News-2012-8-15:14:6:1
Neanderthal breeding idea doubted
A new study casts doubt on the finding from recent genome studies that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred.
From the BBC News-2012-8-13:20:6:1
Dot Earth Blog: Genetic Study Finds Bullfrog Trade is Prime Pathway For Devastating Amphibian Fungus
A new study shows the prime role of the bullfrog trade in spreading a deadly amphibian disease.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-10:14:6:1
VIDEO: GM potatoes keeping blight at bay
Researchers have been showing off the results in the testing of genetically modified blight-resistant potatoes.
From the BBC News-2012-8-9:14:6:1
Fossils suggest 2 new pre-human species, Leakeys say
A famous paleontology family has found fossils that they think confirm their theory that there are two additional pre-human species besides the one that eventually led to modern humans, but other experts are not convinced.
From the CBC News-2012-8-8:20:6:2
Medical Examiner Opens Old Cases, and Graves, to Identify Dead
With old-time detective work and newer DNA technology, the New York medical examiner’s office is undertaking an ambitious effort to identify bodies in the city’s potter’s field.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-8:20:6:1
New Fossils Indicate Offshoots in Human Family Tree
Three specimens unearthed in Kenya are the most compelling evidence yet for multiple lines of evolution in our own genus, Homo, scientists said.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-8:14:6:2
Scientists find new human species
Fossils from Northern Kenya show that a new species of human lived two million years ago, researchers say.
From the BBC News-2012-8-8:14:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: A Pattern of Dolphins
Scientists travel to the islands of Oceania to study dolphin communities and the genetic relationships among them.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-8:8:5:1
The Saturday Profile: Spanish Scientist Puts Genetics to Work to Find Missing Children
Dr. José A. Lorente, an expert in forensic genetics, knew there had to be a way to reunite lost or stolen children with their families. So he began pushing for DNA databanks.
From the NYTimes News-2012-8-4:8:5:1
Mountains altered dino evolution
The creation of a mountain range in the Americas resulted in an increase in the number of dinosaur species, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-8-3:8:5:1
Billionaire plans to build real life Jurassic Park
An Australian billionaire reportedly plans to clone a real dinosaur from ancient DNA samples for a "Jurassic Park-style" area at his new theme resort.
From the CBC News-2012-8-2:20:6:2
DNA clue to why women live longer
Scientists believe they have discovered a clue as to why women tend to live longer than men - by studying fruit flies.
From the BBC News-2012-8-2:20:6:1
VIDEO: Endangered turtles released into sea
Nearly 1,000 endangered turtles are released back into the sea as part of a Thai conservation campaign to save them from extinction.
From the BBC News-2012-8-2:8:5:1
Personal DNA test maker seeks FDA approval in U.S.
Genetic test maker 23andMe is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve its personalized DNA test in a move that, if successful, could boost acceptance of technology that is viewed skeptically by leading scientists.
From the CBC News-2012-7-31:14:6:1
Childhood blindness mystery clearer
The cause of a type of hereditary blindness has been traced to a genetic mutation, a discovery that potentially paves the way to new treatments.
From the CBC News-2012-7-30:20:6:2
A Conversation With Sinéad Collins: Studying Evolution With an Eye on the Future
Sinéad Collins is creating evolution in her laboratory at the University of Edinburgh to work on solutions to environmental problems like global warming and marine acidification.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-30:20:6:1
Cousins of Neanderthals Left DNA in Africa, Scientists Report
Geneticists’ new finding that a previously unknown archaic species of human mingled with early modern humans in Africa has been met with skepticism because no fossil evidence exists.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-26:14:6:1
'Land not sea' origin for snakes
One of the most primitive snake fossils ever found hints that the slithery reptiles might have originated on land, not in the sea.
From the BBC News-2012-7-26:8:5:1
Fossils hint at first grasslands
Two of the earliest rodents, including the earliest chinchilla, are discovered in Chile
From the BBC News-2012-7-25:14:6:1
Team GB trials injury gene tests
Scientists behind Team GB are working on genetic tests to understand why some athletes are prone to injury, BBC's Newsnight has learned.
From the BBC News-2012-7-25:8:5:1
DNA race to unlock ageing secrets
A race to unlock genetic clues behind living to 100 will begin next year, with a US team announcing its intention to compete for the $10m genetics X Prize.
From the BBC News-2012-7-24:8:5:1
Green Blog: A Limit to Gains From Genetically Engineered Cotton
A bacterium in the modified seeds makes the plant's boll toxic to insects, but resistance is likely to develop, researchers warn.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-23:20:6:2
Side Effects: Brown Bears and Polar Bears Split Up, but Continued Coupling
Comparing the DNA of related species can work as a kind of microscope to see how the species separated — events that are otherwise lost in deep time.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-23:20:6:1
Europe nears gene therapy first
Europe is on the cusp of approving a gene therapy for the first time.
From the BBC News-2012-7-23:8:5:1
Alberta dinosaur expert fears more vandalism
Dinosaur expert Philip Currie was on a dig in the Alberta badlands a few weeks back, camping in a tent, when he learned that yet another fossil site had been vandalized.
From the CBC News-2012-7-22:14:6:1
European Agency Recommends Approval of a Gene Therapy
If the European Commission follows a medical agency’s recommendation, it would be the first regulatory approval of a gene therapy in the Western world.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-20:14:6:1
McAbee fossil 'gold mine' protected by B.C.
A B.C. fossil bed described as a paleontology gold mine near Cache Creek has been declared a heritage site by the provincial government.
From the CBC News-2012-7-20:14:6:2
Vast Gene Study Raises Hopes for Colon Cancer Drugs
Researchers have found genetic vulnerabilities that could lead to new treatments.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-18:14:6:1
Observatory: Alaskan Salmon Evolve Along With the Climate
Researchers have found genetic evidence that temperature-driven changes in migration and reproduction behaviors may be evidence of natural selection at work.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-16:20:6:1
Study cracks mystery of how supersized dinosaur ate enough plants
A team of researchers, led by the University of Bristol and the Natural History Museum, have used CT scans to try to figure out how one of the largest known dinosaurs fed itself simply on plants.
From the CBC News-2012-7-16:20:6:2
A Conversation With Chris Stringer: Chris Stringer on the Origins and Rise of Modern Humans
Chris Stringer answers questions about the evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and the extinct species of little people nicknamed the hobbits.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-16:14:6:1
Conflict Potential Seen in Genetic Counselors Paid by Testing Companies
As genetic testing becomes more common, an ethical question is raised by the use of genetic counselors, who advise patients, who are paid by the companies that perform the tests.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-14:8:5:1
Clovis people not 1st to arrive in North America
Spearheads and DNA found at the Paisley Caves in Oregon suggest that a separate group of people using different hunting tools arrived in North America several hundred years prior to the Clovis culture.
From the CBC News-2012-7-13:8:5:4
Growers Fret Over a New Apple That Won’t Turn Brown
Some members of the United States apple industry say the introduction of genetically engineered fruit could undermine the apple’s image as a healthy, natural food.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-13:8:5:3
Genetic Database of Bacteria Aims to Track Food-Borne Illness
A new public database will enable scientists to pinpoint much faster what food is behind a given outbreak and what country it came from, researchers say.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-13:8:5:2
Lemurs sliding towards extinction
A new assessment of Madagascar's lemurs shows they are far more threatened than previously thought.
From the BBC News-2012-7-13:8:5:1
Americas 'settled in three waves'
The biggest survey of Native American DNA has concluded that the New World was settled in three major waves.
From the BBC News-2012-7-12:14:6:1
Suspects identified in dinosaur fossil vandalism
A liquor-store receipt may lead to those responsible for the destruction of an "irreplaceable" dinosaur skeleton meant to be the centre piece of a new fossil museum in northern Alberta.
From the CBC News-2012-7-11:20:6:1
Earliest Americans Arrived in 3 Waves, Not 1, DNA Study Finds
Genetics researchers say the Americas were first populated by three surges of migrants from Siberia, rather than just a single migration.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-11:14:6:1
Rare Gene Mutation Is Found to Stave Off Alzheimer’s
The discovery of a protective gene mutation provides evidence that the buildup of beta amyloid protein in the brain is a driving force in the disease.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-11:14:6:2
Bed bugs may be tracked using DNA
Scientists use DNA fingerprinting techniques to trace the origins of the global bed bug boom.
From the BBC News-2012-7-11:8:5:1
Observatory: Slugs’ Tunnels Shed Light on Early Bilateral Animals
Until now, the oldest fossil evidence for bilaterians dated back 555 million years. But now scientists have found fossil burrows of a segmented slug that are about 30 million years older.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-9:20:6:3
Genetic Gamble: Genetic Test Changes Game in Cancer Prognosis
Where doctors once made predictions based on a tumor’s appearance, a new genetic test offers hope to patients with huge melanomas of the eye.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-9:20:6:1
C.I.A. Vaccine Ruse in Pakistan May Have Harmed Polio Fight
The C.I.A.’s decision to send a vaccination team into Pakistan to obtain DNA from Osama bin Laden’s family had the unintended consequence of hurting work there against polio.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-9:20:6:2
Genetic Gamble: New Frontiers of Cancer Treatment Bring Breathtaking Swings
A drug that in theory should have killed a cancer patient instead seemed to have halted or even reversed her disease.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-9:8:5:2
AUDIO: Uncovering British 'deep ancestry'
A DNA database is using the "markers" that are part of our genetic make-up to reveal the patterns of our heritage, where everybody in this country came from. Writer and historian Alistair Moffat, who is running the project in the Scottish Borders, explains how he has been turning up fascinating stories that go back to the world of the Old Testament.
From the BBC News-2012-7-9:8:5:1
Genetic Gamble: In Gene Sequencing Treatment for Leukemia, Glimpses of the Future
A novel method known as whole genome sequencing focuses on the genes that drive a cancer, not the tissues or organ.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-7:20:6:1
'Priceless' fossil deliberately destroyed at dig site
Police now investigating after Hadrosaur skeleton was "torn to pieces" before it could be removed from the ground near Grande Prairie
From the CBC News-2012-7-6:20:6:1
Worm lifetime 'longer in space'
Worms that took a ride on the International Space Station show genetic changes associated with longer lifetimes in worms on Earth.
From the BBC News-2012-7-6:8:5:1
Flavor Is the Price of Tomatoes’ Scarlet Hue, Geneticists Say
A gene mutation that breeders latched onto because it makes a tomato uniformly red also stifles genes that contribute to its taste, researchers say.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-4:14:6:3
Rare orchid blooms in woodland
An "extremely rare and endangered" orchid which was on the brink of extinction in the UK is blooming again in Gloucestershire.
From the BBC News-2012-7-4:14:6:1
Death of Lonesome George the Tortoise Gives Extinction a Face
The world took notice when Lonesome George died, marking the end of his subspecies. But for researchers and workers in the Galápagos Islands, his death also takes a personal tone.
From the NYTimes News-2012-7-4:14:6:2
Australopithecus Sediba Preferred Forest Foods, Fossil Teeth Suggest
Australopithecus sediba apparently lived on a diet of leaves, fruits, wood and bark, scientists report, while other hominins in Africa mainly consumed grasses.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-27:14:6:2
Early human ancestor chewed bark
One of our early relatives chewed on fruit, bark and leaves from the forests, fossil evidence suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-6-27:14:6:1
How mavericks blazed the Bruce Trail, Canada's longest footpath
It was 50 years ago that a bunch of Ontario nature lovers decided to cut a trail through the fossil-rich, 700-kilometre-long Niagara Escarpment to raise awareness of its beauty. The Bruce Trail took five years and thousands of volunteers to complete, but the result is a tribute to "a piece of Canadian history."
From the CBC News-2012-6-27:8:5:2
Plant DNA logged to develop drugs
A record is created of the DNA of all Wales' native flowering plants, which could help conservation and drug development.
From the BBC News-2012-6-27:8:5:1
The Evolution of Bird Flu, and the Race to Keep Up
A new evolutionary model concludes that it would not be hard for a bird flu virus to pick up the sorts of mutations it needs to become a human flu.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-25:20:6:1
Green Blog: On Our Radar: A Galápagos Extinction
Lonesome George, the last member of a giant tortoise species, is found dead.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-25:14:6:1
New Google site aims to save endangered languages
Google has launched a new site intended to help preserve the more than 3,000 world languages that are at risk of extinction.
From the CBC News-2012-6-22:20:6:1
DNA clues to Queen of Sheba tale
The DNA of some Africans provides clues to the origins of the Queen of Sheba legend, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-6-21:14:6:2
US to seize $1m dinosaur skeleton
A 70 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Bataar, unearthed in the Gobi Desert in 1946, is to be seized by the US Department of Homeland Security.
From the BBC News-2012-6-21:8:5:1
World's 'most unusual dinosaurs' to go on display in Toronto
The Royal Ontario Museum's new exhibit Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana features fossils, skeletons and full-sized skeletal casts of some of the most unusual dinosaurs that ever walked the earth.
From the CBC News-2012-6-20:20:6:1
Turtles fossilised in sex embrace
Scientists reporting in Biology Letters describe turtles killed and fossilised 47 million years ago - caught in the act of copulation.
From the BBC News-2012-6-20:8:5:1
'On the brink' species counted
East Asia's status as the world's main "extinction hotspot" is confirmed in the new Red List of Threatened Species.
From the BBC News-2012-6-19:14:6:1
New Dating Puts Cave Art in the Age of Neanderthals
Paintings on cave walls in northwestern Spain are far older than previously thought — some of them more than 40,000 years old, scientists said, raising a possibility that Neanderthals were the artists.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-14:20:6:1
Cougar populations roaring back in U.S., Canada
Cougars are again spreading across the U.S. Midwest and even as far north as Ontario and Manitoba a century after the generally reclusive predators were hunted to near extinction in much of the region, according to a new study.
From the CBC News-2012-6-14:14:6:1
Bonobo's genetic code laid bare
Scientists decode the genetics of the bonobo, the last great ape to have its DNA sequence laid bare for comparison with humans.
From the BBC News-2012-6-13:20:6:1
Three-person IVF 'ethically OK'
A controversial fertility treatment which uses eggs from two women is an ethical way to prevent life-threatening genetic disorders, a report says.
From the BBC News-2012-6-12:14:6:1
Phillip Tobias, 86, WhoIdentified Remains Related to Humans, Dies
Dr. Tobias, a South African paleoanthropologist who fiercely opposed apartheid, set the benchmark for meticulous analyses of fossil remains.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-12:8:5:2
Delayed fatherhood 'extends life'
Children with older fathers and grandfathers are "genetically programmed" to live longer, scientists have discovered.
From the BBC News-2012-6-12:8:5:1
An Alzheimer’s Gene: One Family’s Saga
One family with a genetic mutation is helping scientists find a cure.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-10:8:5:1
Foetus has its genome deciphered
A blood sample from mum and saliva from dad have been used by US researchers to sequence the genome of a foetus.
From the BBC News-2012-6-7:14:6:1
Tests of Parents Are Used to Map Genes of a Fetus
Researchers put together most of a fetus’s genome using a mother’s blood and father’s saliva, heralding an era when parents might know much more about a child long before its birth.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-7:8:5:1
Newly mapped tomato genome could yield tastier, hardier fruit
You might think you know all you need to know about the humble tomato, but now, you can truly get a look at what this fleshy fruit is made of thanks to the work of about 300 scientists who have identified almost all of the genes that make up one common variety.
From the CBC News-2012-6-4:17:24:6
Scientist at Work Blog: The Extinction of Hawaiian Birds
Since the early 1800s, the exotic Plasmodium and its tropical mosquito vector have contributed to the extinction of at least a dozen endemic Hawaiian birds.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-4:17:24:5
The Tomato: Ripe, Juicy and Bursting With Genes
Plant geneticists who sequenced the tomato’s genome in hope of breeding better specimens found that it has 31,760 genes — about 7,000 more than a person.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-4:17:24:4
Side Effects: Skull Analysis Charts the Changes From Dinosaurs to Birds
In the course of birds’ evolution from dinosaurs, it appears that their skulls pulled a Peter Pan and stopped growing up.
From the NYTimes News-2012-6-4:17:24:3
In pictures: Bats on 'extinction watch'
Bat species threatened by lethal fungal disease
From the BBC News-2012-6-4:17:24:2
Genome promises tastier tomatoes
Scientists have sequenced the tomato genome and say it will yield tastier fruit as a result.
From the BBC News-2012-6-4:17:24:1
Evolution skeptics will soon be silenced by science: Richard Leakey
Sometime in the next 15 to 30 years, scientific discoveries will have accelerated to the point that even those who have questioned evolution will accept it as an incontrovertible fact of human history, says renowned paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey.
From the CBC News-2012-5-28:14:6:1
The Animal Lifeboat: Zoos’ Bitter Choice: To Save Some Species, Letting Others Die
As the number of species at risk of extinction soars, zoos are being called upon to rescue and sustain some animals in favor of others.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-28:8:5:2
Police halt anti-GM wheat protest
Hundreds of protesters who had planned to "decontaminate" a field of genetically modified wheat are stopped from entering by a police line.
From the BBC News-2012-5-28:8:5:1
Bonavista, N.L., 'coyote' was really wolf, tests confirm
Wolves have not been seen in Newfoundland since around 1930 and were believed to have been hunted to extinction on the island, but genetic tests have confirmed that an 82-pound animal shot on the Bonavista Peninsula in March was, in fact, a wolf.
From the CBC News-2012-5-25:20:6:1
Male 'contraceptive gene' found
It may be possible to make a new form of male contraceptive after scientists in Edinburgh find a critical gene for the production of healthy sperm.
From the BBC News-2012-5-25:14:6:1
Dispute Over Labeling of Genetically Modified Food
Concern over the possible health and environmental effects of such food has prompted a move for labeling it, but scientists, farmers and technology companies call the measures alarmist.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-25:8:5:1
Scientists on hunt for Bigfoot to test DNA in hair samples
European researchers are planning to use new techniques to analyze DNA that could help crack the mystery of whether Bigfoot exists.
From the CBC News-2012-5-23:14:6:1
Green Blog: A Genetic Cure for Tomato Rot
Taking a firm tomato that was genetically engineered in the 1990s, scientists find that it fends off a common scourge related to calcium deficiency.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-22:20:6:1
Pregnant 'fish lizard' among rare items in new dinosaur exhibit
A rare skeleton of an ancient marine reptile that captures fossilized evidence that the female Ichthyosaur died in childbirth is one of several unique items that will go on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science's new dinosaur hall when it opens June 2.
From the CBC News-2012-5-22:14:6:3
DNA to shed light on yeti claims
A UK-Swiss team is to use genetic testing to investigate the origins of remains claimed to have come from "yetis" and "bigfoot".
From the BBC News-2012-5-22:14:6:2
Rewritable DNA memory shown off
Researchers demonstrate a means to use sections of DNA as individually addressable, rewritable "bits" to store data in living cells.
From the BBC News-2012-5-22:14:6:1
Side Effects: Dogs’ Genetic Roots Remain Obscure
Little about the origins of dogs is agreed upon, beyond the fact that they descended from wolves. Genetic research has provided little insight so far.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-21:20:6:1
Woodland plants extinction worry
One in 10 woodland flowers is under threat of extinction in Wales, says a conservation charity which wants a shift in how forestry is managed.
From the BBC News-2012-5-21:8:5:2
Row dogs dinosaur skeleton sale
A row breaks out over the sale of a rare dinosaur skeleton sold at auction in the US, with Mongolia's president saying it was smuggled out.
From the BBC News-2012-5-21:8:5:1
Texas Monthly: Texas Gets Prehistoric With Two New Fossil Halls
After years of exporting prized dinosaur fossils to some of the world’s best museums, Texas will be getting two huge exhibit halls, in Dallas and Houston.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-20:8:5:1
Disease-resistant elms aim of Canadian research
Scientists at the University of Guelph are cloning elm trees they believe are resistant to Dutch elm disease, a fungus that has devastated the North American elm tree population.
From the CBC News-2012-5-18:20:6:1
Rare Genetic Mutations May Underpin Diseases
Because the mutations are so rare, costly studies involving large numbers of patients would be needed to identify their role in each disease.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-18:8:5:1
HDL ‘Good Cholesterol’ Found Not to Cut Heart Risk
People genetically prone to higher levels of HDL, often called “good cholesterol,” showed that they did not have any significant decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-17:8:5:1
Testing a Drug That May Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts
A clinical trial of Crenezumab, made by Genentech, will focus largely on people in a large Colombian family who are genetically destined to suffer from the disease but who do not yet have any symptoms.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-15:14:6:1
In Sperm Banks, a Roll of the Genetic Dice
In households across the country, children conceived with donated sperm are struggling with serious genetic conditions inherited from men they have never met.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-14:20:6:1
Green Blog: On Our Radar: Imagining Many More Gray Whales
A study of DNA in whale bones seems to indicate that far more whales once existed than previously thought.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-14:14:6:1
Nepal's mystery language on the verge of extinction
Last speaker of mysterious Nepal tribal tongue
From the BBC News-2012-5-13:8:5:1
Turtle dove rescue mission begins
Conservationists launch what they call an urgent mission to save the turtle dove from extinction in the UK.
From the BBC News-2012-5-10:8:5:1
Wolf killed in N.B. 1st in century
New Brunswick has its first confirmed wolf killing in more than a century, DNA tests show.
From the CBC News-2012-5-9:14:6:1
Horse origins mystery 'solved'
The horse was first domesticated 6,000 years ago on the grasslands of the Ukraine, southwest Russia and west Kazakhstan, genetic evidence suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-5-8:8:5:1
Blond hair evolved at least twice
The blond hair on dark-skinned people in the Solomon Islands evolved there separately, a Nova Scotian geneticist explains.
From the CBC News-2012-5-7:20:6:3
Asteroid’s Impact Still Central to Dinosaurs’ Extinction
Researchers found some signs of long-term decline in the dinosaurs’ last 12 million years, but nothing that might dislodge the asteroid’s role in the mass extinction.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-7:20:6:1
Basser Research Center to Focus on BRCA Cancer Genes
A new center at the University of Pennsylvania will be dedicated to studying BRCA, a set of genes with ties to breast and ovarian cancer.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-7:20:6:2
Scientist at Work Blog: Rethinking the Past of the Parnaíba Basin
Paleontologists were disappointed in a hunt for synapsid fossils in Brazil, but what they did find changed the way they thought about the history of the Parnaíba Basin.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-7:14:6:1
Embryo test 'raises IVF success'
A test checking that an embryo has the right genetic information could significantly boost the number of IVF pregnancies, a UK company says.
From the BBC News-2012-5-5:20:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: A Final Hunt for Fossils in Nazaria
Paleontologists have a successful last day in the field, after a worker leads them to a quarry in Nazaria, Brazil.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-4:20:6:1
Observatory: Another Genetic Quirk of the Solomon Islands: Blond Hair
The gene variant responsible for blondness in dark-skinned indigenous islanders is distinctly different from the gene that causes blond hair in Europeans, researchers report.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-3:20:6:2
Side Effects: It Started With ‘Genome’: ‘Omes’ Proliferate in Science
It began with the genome. Then in an epidemic of neologia came the proteome, the connectome, even the omome.
From the NYTimes News-2012-5-3:20:6:1
N.S. fishway created to save endangered species
Researchers in Nova Scotia are hoping a new $700,000 fish ladder outside Bridgewater will help an endangered and landlocked fish species escape to the sea and escape extinction.
From the CBC News-2012-5-2:8:5:3
AUDIO: 'Please don't destroy our crop'
Can there be a meeting of minds between researchers into genetically-modified crops and those who are deeply hostile to the technology?
From the BBC News-2012-5-2:8:5:2
'Talk to us' plea by GM crop team
Scientists developing genetically modified wheat ask campaigners to come for a chat rather than ruin their experimental plots.
From the BBC News-2012-5-2:8:5:1
Test to 'predict breast cancer'
A genetic test could help predict breast cancer many years and even decades before the disease is diagnosed, research suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-5-1:8:5:1
Underground Fossil Forest in Illinois Offers Clues on Climate Change
A vast expanse of fossilized trees more than 300 million years old — called a “botanical Pompeii” — could extend as much as 100 miles underneath southern Illinois.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-30:20:6:2
Dr. John Long is attempting to bridge the gap between evolution and engineering by building robots that evolve.
From the CBC News-2012-4-30:20:6:3
New Studies of Permian Extinction Shed Light on the ‘Great Dying’
Painstaking analyses of fossils from the Permian extinction, 252 million years ago, are providing startling new clues to the behavior of modern marine life and its future.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-30:20:6:1
24 threatened lizard species discovered
U.S. researchers have identified two dozen new species of lizards on the Caribbean islands, and about half of them may be extinct or close to extinction.
From the CBC News-2012-4-30:14:6:1
Pancreatic cancer gene discovery
Aggressive pancreatic tumours may be treatable with a new class of drugs targeting a "brake gene", according to Cancer Research UK
From the BBC News-2012-4-30:8:5:1
Farming 'spread by migrant wave'
A new study of DNA from ancient remains provides further evidence that farming was spread to Europe by a wave of migrants.
From the BBC News-2012-4-27:14:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Farewell to Nova Iorque
Paleontologists discover several species of amphibians, sharks and lungfish in the Pedra de Fogo Formation in Brazil, but not the synapsid fossils they set out to find.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-26:20:6:1
'Godzillus' mystery fossil stumps experts in U.S.
Scientists in the U.S. are trying to identify a mysterious, 450-million-year-old fossil dubbed "Godzillus," which was recovered last year in Kentucky.
From the CBC News-2012-4-26:14:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: A Curious Tooth Collection
Chimera teeth fossils found in the Parnaíba Basin in Brazil raise questions about the animal's diet during the Permian period.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-25:20:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Back to the Scene of a Former Fossil Site
Using satellite images and clues from a previous researcher, paleontologists find pieces of the large fossil amphibian Prionosuchus plummeri in the Parnaíba Basin in Brazil.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-24:14:6:1
Green Blog: Study Links Plant Damage to Nanoparticles
A new study suggests that the introduction of some nanoparticles into plants' DNA could cause them to shrivel and die.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-24:8:5:2
Ancient virus DNA thrives in us
Traces of ancient viruses which infected our ancestors millions of years ago are more widespread in us than previously thought.
From the BBC News-2012-4-24:8:5:1
VIDEO: Poland's primeval forest where Bison roam
Poland boasts the last primeval, virginal forest in Europe which is home to a great deal of wildlife including 500 bison who had faced extinction.
From the BBC News-2012-4-23:8:5:1
Dot Earth Blog: An Albatross's Flight from Extinction's Edge
Remarkable signs of recovery for an albatross species that was once nearly extinguished by human and natural forces.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-20:20:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Fossil Hunting Near 'New York,' Brazil
Paleontologists are retracing the steps of previous researchers to see if 40 years of erosion has exposed new fossils.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-20:8:5:1
DNA reveals polar bear's origins
The polar bear evolved from the brown bear about 600,000 years ago, according to new genetic data.
From the BBC News-2012-4-19:20:6:2
Polar Bears Did Not Descend From Brown Bears, DNA Study Indicates
After analyzing DNA samples from the two species, scientists reported that polar bears are not descended from brown bears.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-19:20:6:3
Dot Earth Blog: DNA Study Finds Deeper Antiquity of Polar Bear Species
New research finds polar bears have survived two periods substantially warmer than now.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-19:20:6:4
Evolution seen in 'synthetic DNA'
Researchers create artificial DNA and RNA molecules that interact with their natural counterparts, hinting at future "synthetic genetics".
From the BBC News-2012-4-19:20:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Unearthing Dwellers of an Aquatic Past
Researchers discover intriguing fossils of extinct aquatic species in the Pedra de Fogo Formation in Brazil.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-18:20:6:1
Big dinosaurs' mini eggs helped push them to extinction
The fact that big dinosaurs laid tiny eggs put them at a huge disadvantage to other mammals and was likely a significant factor leading to their extinction, a new study has found.
From the CBC News-2012-4-18:14:6:2
Study reveals 'extraordinary' DNA
The DNA of people living in Scotland has "extraordinary" and "unexpected" diversity, according to a new study.
From the BBC News-2012-4-17:14:6:1
DNA being tested on N.B. mystery 'wolf'
A zoologist at the New Brunswick Museum believes the large animal shot on the Acadian Peninsula earlier this month could be a wolf.
From the CBC News-2012-4-16:14:6:1
Scientist at Work Blog: How Old is the 'Fire Stone'?
Some of the fossils in the Pedra de Fogo Formation in Brazil are consistent with an early part of the Permian period, while others are more suggestive of a later part in the period.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-13:20:6:1
Green Blog: Breaking Down Traditional Chinese Medicine
A new method of genetic analysis allows researchers to identify the component parts of traditional Chinese medicine, revealing endangered species, toxic plants and widespread mislabeling.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-12:20:6:1
VIDEO: Bird-like dinosaur found with eggs
The bones and eggs of a new 70-million-year-old dinosaur that resembled a flightless bird have been found in Patagonia, scientists say. Some of the eggs were probably still inside the mother dinosaur when she died - other eggs were nearby.
From the BBC News-2012-4-12:8:5:1
Scientist at Work Blog: Have You Seen This Animal?
A team of paleontologists is looking for new synapsid fossils in Permian-age rocks in northeastern Brazil to better understand the causes and effects of a mass extinction.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-11:20:6:1
A Tennessee anti-evolution bill has become law though without the signature of the state's governor
From Genomeweb News News-2012-4-11:12:23:1
Social rank 'linked to immunity'
A study of monkeys suggests that the assignment of social rank defines immune cell counts and gene expression rather than vice versa.
From the BBC News-2012-4-10:8:5:1
Observatory: Changes in Social Status Seen in Monkeys’ Genes
Researchers find that social status may directly affect immune gene expression in groups of rhesus macaques.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-9:20:6:2
M.I.T.’s John Durant, a Cheerleader for Science
Through festivals — not fairs — John Durant, of the M.I.T. Museum, strives to demystify science in an era of divisive issues like climate change, vaccines and embryonic stem cell research.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-9:20:6:1
The Bay Citizen: Chytrid Fungus in Frogs Threatens Amphibian Extinction
A skin fungus in frogs is threatening a species with extinction, but Chinese-American leaders oppose a proposed import ban that could affect their traditional diets.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-8:8:5:1
The giant snake that stalked the Earth
Newly discovered fossils unearthed in Colombia have revealed that a giant snake - now named Titanoboa - roamed the Earth 58 million years ago.
From the BBC News-2012-4-6:8:5:1
Side Effects: Motifs in Wagner’s ‘Ring’ Cycle, and in Our DNA
A study of recurring DNA snippets in the people of Madagascar calls to mind the phrases that punctuate Wagner’s “Ring” operas.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-5:20:6:1
Scientists Link Rare Gene Mutations to Heightened Risk of Autism
Scientists have for the first time homed in on several gene mutations that they say sharply increase the chances of autism, and have found that the risk increases with the age of the parents, particularly the father.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-4:20:6:1
Dinosaur Dig in China Turns Up Largest Known Feathered Animal
Fossils of a previously unrecognized dinosaur found in China show that it is the largest known feathered animal, living or extinct, scientists report.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-4:14:6:1
Gene-Altered Pig Project in Canada Is Halted
A Canadian project aimed at creating a genetically engineered pig whose manure would be less harmful to the environment is being halted after failure to find a company willing to bring the animal to market, according to the lead researcher.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-4:8:5:1
AUDIO: Aquatic dinosaur theory debated
Science correspondent Tom Feilden reports on a new theory that dinosaurs actually lived in shallow water
From the BBC News-2012-4-3:8:5:1
Study Says DNA’s Power to Predict Illness Is Limited
Personalized disease forecasts and therapies are not the wave of the future, research on twins suggests.
From the NYTimes News-2012-4-2:20:6:1
Fossil of beluga ancestor found in Virginia
A three million-year-old skull found in the southern United States has traits of both beluga whales and narwhals, according to researchers.
From the CBC News-2012-4-2:14:6:2
Gene clue to post-trauma stress
Susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears to be partially determined by genetics, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-4-2:14:6:1
Fossil raindrop-prints solve an ancient atmospheric mystery
Marks left by falling rain in South Africa 2.7 billion years ago appear to solve a long-standing scientific mystery: Why wasn't the Earth covered in ice at that time?
From the CBC News-2012-3-30:20:6:1
'Spider goats' display angers Ottawa professor
An exhibit of two goats implanted with a spider gene has raised the ire of an anthropology professor in Ottawa, two years after the animals were first shown to the public.
From the CBC News-2012-3-29:20:6:1
African Foot Fossil Indicates Another Hominin Species Lived With Lucy
The 3.4-million-year-old bones appear to settle the question of whether Australopithecus afarensis was the only line of hominins, or prehumans, living then.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-28:14:6:3
Fossils hint at mystery walker
The remains of a right foot belonging to a 3.4-million-year-old human ancestor are discovered in Ethiopia.
From the BBC News-2012-3-28:14:6:1
Anti-insect wheat trials underway
The first experiments with plants genetically-modified to repel aphids are under way in the UK.
From the BBC News-2012-3-28:14:6:2
Supreme Court Orders New Look at Gene Patents
Appellate judges were told to reconsider a ruling that let Myriad Genetics patent two genes associated with a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-26:20:6:1
'Severe flu' gene flaw identified
Scientists identity a genetic variant that turns mild flu into a life-threatening illness.
From the BBC News-2012-3-25:20:6:1
Australia extinction 'due to man'
Human hunters were responsible for the extinction of Australia's giant vertebrates about 40,000 years ago, scientists conclude.
From the BBC News-2012-3-24:8:5:1
VIDEO: Sir Paul Nurse: Behind the scenes
Matthew Stadlen spent a day with the Nobel Prize-winning geneticist and President of the Royal Society.
From the BBC News-2012-3-23:14:6:2
Inbreeding did not kill mammoths
The last known population of woolly mammoths did not "inevitably" die out because of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2012-3-23:14:6:1
Researchers solve Darwin's puzzle
Many creatures will mimic more dangerous animals in order to escape being eaten, but why do some of nature's worst impersonators survive?
From the BBC News-2012-3-21:20:6:1
Plants' 'spring switch' revealed
Researchers have identified the genetic "switch" that triggers the flowering process in plants as they respond to warmer temperatures.
From the BBC News-2012-3-21:14:6:1
Experts reveal 'fat gene' role
Researchers believe they have identified why a mutation in a particular gene can lead to obesity.
From the BBC News-2012-3-19:14:6:1
VIDEO: Pashmina goat 'cloned for first time'
Scientists in Indian-administered Kashmir claim they have successfully cloned the first Himalayan goat which produces the famed pashmina wool.
From the BBC News-2012-3-16:14:6:1
From Anonymous to shuttered websites, the evolution of online protest
Whether scholars or anarchists, protestors are availing themselves of new mediums and techniques to voice their dissent.
From the CBC News-2012-3-16:8:5:1
Fossils in China reveal new Stone Age people
Four sets of mysterious human-like fossils found in China may offer insight into a previously unknown Stone Age people, according to an international team of scientists.
From the CBC News-2012-3-15:14:6:1
2 new dinosaurs named after Canadians
Two new dinosaur species from Alberta, including one of the smallest adult plant-eating dinosaurs ever discovered, have been named after Canadians.
From the CBC News-2012-3-14:14:6:2
Human fossils hint at new species
The remains of what may be a previously unknown human species living just 11,500 years ago are identified in southern China, although the science team behind the discovery is stopping short of a formal classification.
From the BBC News-2012-3-14:14:6:1
New Leopard Frog Species Is Discovered in N.Y.C.
A new species of leopard frog, still unnamed, is known to exist only in the metropolitan area and was identified by its distinctive mating call and DNA testing.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-14:8:5:1
NASA faces 'intelligent design' lawsuit from scientist
Opening statements are expected Monday in a lawsuit from a scientist who alleges NASA fired him as a "team lead" on the Cassini mission exploring Saturn because he believes that a higher power must have had a hand in creation.
From the CBC News-2012-3-12:14:6:1
Natural rhythm of plants revealed
A gene that is responsible for helping plants to stay dormant at night is discovered by scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-3-11:8:5:1
Observatory: Brains of Honeybee Scouts Are Wired for Adventure
Thrill-seeking bees that fearlessly leave their hives and search for new sources of food and hive locations have genetic brain patterns that set them apart from more timid bees, a new study suggests.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-9:20:6:1
Cost of Gene Sequencing Falls, Raising Hopes for Medical Advances
Firms are racing to cut the cost of sequencing the human genome, which will yield new approaches for treating cancers and other serious diseases, biologists say.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-8:8:5:1
Scientists decode gorilla genome
Researchers decipher the gorilla's genetic code, which should help science answer questions about the development of human abilities.
From the BBC News-2012-3-7:14:6:1
VIDEO: Scientists decode gorilla genome
Researchers in Cambridge have deciphered the genetic code of the gorilla - which is the last group of great apes to be sequenced.
From the BBC News-2012-3-7:14:6:2
Archaeopteryx Fossils Appear Twisted, but Not Because of Agony
Dinosaur fossils are often found with sharply curved necks, but research challenges the assumption that the position indicates an animal died in the throes of agony.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-5:20:6:1
Observatory: ‘Iceman’ Had Brown Eyes and Hair, and Was Lactose Intolerant
Researchers have sequenced the complete genome of the so-called Tyrolean Iceman, and discovered that he had brown eyes and brown hair, was lactose intolerant and had Type O blood.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-5:20:6:2
Sawfish snout senses and swipes
The spectacular snouts of sawfish are revealed as complete hunting weapons - even as the creatures themselves head to extinction.
From the BBC News-2012-3-5:14:6:1
Worm-like fossil a 'distant cousin' of humans
A finger-sized creature unearthed in the Canadian Rockies is the oldest known member of the group that contains all animals with a backbone, including humans.
From the CBC News-2012-3-5:14:6:2
Tropical birds 'face extinction'
Between 600 and 900 species of tropical birds could become extinct by 2100 due to climate change, researchers say.
From the BBC News-2012-3-5:8:5:1
Observatory: Giant Jurassic Fleas Packed a Mean Mouth
Scientists have discovered fossils of fleas 10 times the size of modern counterparts, with elongated, sharp mouth parts that may have allowed them to feed on dinosaurs.
From the NYTimes News-2012-3-2:14:6:2
Nordic trees 'survived Ice Age'
DNA evidence suggests some Scandinavian trees survived the last Ice Age, contradicting the widely held notion that vegetation was wiped out by a great ice sheet.
From the BBC News-2012-3-2:14:6:1
Dot Earth Blog: Songs of this Fossil Age: A Coal Miner's Death Foretold
A contemporary ballad recalls a mining death foretold.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-29:14:6:1
Iceman had brown eyes, DNA reveals
Oetzi the iceman, whose body was frozen into the Italian Alps 5,300 years ago, had brown eyes, type O blood and was lactose intolerant, a DNA analysis shows.
From the CBC News-2012-2-28:14:6:2
Ancient Iceman 'had brown eyes'
Researchers publish the complete genome of the 5,300-year-old Oetzi, the "Iceman", revealing his eye colour, blood type and a number of his ailments.
From the BBC News-2012-2-28:14:6:1
Big NZ fossil penguin reconstructed
A large extinct penguin has been reconstructed from fossil remains discovered in New Zealand.
From the BBC News-2012-2-28:8:5:1
First Mention: Life’s Blueprint, Slow to Newsprint
Scientists had known of DNA since 1869, but The New York Times did not mention it until 78 years later.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-27:20:6:3
Books: Genomics as a Final Frontier, or Just a Way Station
Many physicians and researchers believe the future lies in therapies tailored to an individual’s genetic makeup, but others argue that there is much more at play than our accumulated DNA.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-27:20:6:2
Basics: A Gripping Tale: Each Flick of a Finger Takes the Work of Five
Scientists who study the performance, circuitry and evolution of the human hand have determined that the appearance of digital independence is deeply deceptive.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-27:20:6:1
New clue to Neanderthal wipe-out
Neanderthals were already on the verge of extinction by the time modern humans appeared in the frame, according to a study.
From the BBC News-2012-2-27:14:6:1
VIDEO: Whatever happened to GM foods?
The debate over genetically-modified foods of the 1990s brought about talk super tomatoes, trampled fields, and a newspaper claim of the "prime monster".
From the BBC News-2012-2-24:14:6:1
Y chromosome isn't going extinct after all
The popular theory that the Y chromosome is well on its way to losing all its genes is wrong, a new study suggests.
From the CBC News-2012-2-23:14:6:1
Male extinction theory challenged
A new study comparing chromosomes in humans and rhesus monkeys suggests genetic decay of the male sex chromosome has all but ended.
From the BBC News-2012-2-22:14:6:1
Y Chromosome, Though Diminished, Is Holding Its Ground
The Y chromosome is just a fraction of its original size, and much smaller than its buxom partner, the X chromosome, but researchers say its gene-shedding days seem to be over.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-22:14:6:2
Warning over native Irish species
The Irish hare is one of a number of native species facing extinction if action is not taken to control the invasion of foreign mammals in Ireland, according to new research.
From the BBC News-2012-2-22:8:5:2
Ancient tracks are elephant herd
Vast trails of seven-million-year-old fossilised footprints reveal the "social structure" of prehistoric elephants, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-2-22:8:5:1
Chinese fossil forest unearthed
Researchers discover a forest in northern China that was preserved in volcanic ash following an eruption 300,000 years ago.
From the BBC News-2012-2-21:14:6:1
Dr. Renato Dulbecco, Nobel Laureate, Dies at 97
Dr. Dulbecco, who won the Nobel Prize in 1975, worked with colleagues to draw a link between genetic mutations and cancer.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-21:8:5:1
Oxford Nanopore Unveils Tiny DNA Sequencing Device
A British company plans to sell a disposable gene sequencing device that is the size of a USB memory stick and plugs into a laptop computer to deliver its results.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-18:8:5:1
'DNA robot' targets cancer cells
Researchers show off a "robot" made of DNA molecules that can target cancer cells and release a payload of antibodies once they find them.
From the BBC News-2012-2-17:8:5:2
Devil killer cancer genome mapped
Researchers have sequenced the genome of the killer disease that is driving the remaining wild population of Tasmanian devils towards extinction.
From the BBC News-2012-2-17:8:5:1
Green Blog: On Our Radar: Climate Change and Curriculums
Efforts to undermine climate-science instruction are beginning to spread across the country, defenders of science education say, and they fear a long fight similar to that over the teaching of evolution in public schools.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-16:14:6:1
How to think like a Neanderthal
A lack of creativity and the inability to innovate may have led to the extinction of the Neanderthals, two researchers argue in a book that aims to get inside the Neanderthal mind.
From the CBC News-2012-2-13:20:6:2
Yeast Genetics in ‘The Marriage Plot’ - Scientist Was Fiction, but Not His Work
Jeffrey Eugenides’s new novel, “The Marriage Plot,” has scenes describing yeast genetic studies that ring so true, many assume that researchers had to have given him some in-depth help.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-13:20:6:1
Green Blog: The Forensics of Snake Venom
Genetic analysis of venom allows Indian investigators to determine whether it came from an endangered cobra, helping them to prosecute traffickers.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-10:14:6:1
Parkinson's cells 'made in lab'
Scientists in the US have successfully made human brain cells in the lab that are an exact replica of genetically caused Parkinson's disease.
From the BBC News-2012-2-8:8:5:1
Observatory: Euryarchaeota Has Never Been Seen, but Now Its Genome Has
Researchers say they have developed a way to untangle a single genome from a large, metagenomic sample of many organisms.
From the NYTimes News-2012-2-6:20:6:2
Jurassic cricket's song recreated
The "love song" of a 165-million-year-old insect is recreated from a tiny and remarkably intact fossil, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2012-2-6:20:6:1
'Big cat' theory ruled out by DNA
Scientists fail to find any evidence that "big cats" killed two roe deer found dead in Gloucestershire.
From the BBC News-2012-2-2:8:5:1
Ancient giant crocodile discovery
'Shieldcroc' is an ancient, extinct crocodile that's been discovered by scientists studying fossils in Missouri in the US.
From the BBC News-2012-2-1:20:6:1
'Personalized medicine' gets $67.5M research boost
The federal health minister has announced $67.5 million in funding for research into "personalized medicine," which tailors treatment to a patient's genetics and environment.
From the CBC News-2012-1-31:14:6:1
Mammals shrink faster than they grow
An international team of scientists, including some from Canada, has discovered that mammals shrink at faster rates than they grow — a finding that sheds light on the conditions that potentially contribute to extinction.
From the CBC News-2012-1-30:20:6:3
Gains in DNA Are Speeding Research Into Human Origins
Remains from a Siberian cave and faster, cheaper technology are helping scientists draw a complex new picture of human origins.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-30:20:6:1
Observatory: Black Dinosaur Feathers May Have Helped Archaeopteryx Fly
An Archaeopteryx fossil was microscopically examined for pigment clues, which were compared with cells of living birds.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-30:20:6:2
VIDEO: Thai poachers target elephants for meat
Thailand's wildlife experts say that elephants could face extinction if they continue to be hunted as a source of meat.
From the BBC News-2012-1-30:14:6:1
Mummy's prostate cancer points to genetic cause
An Egyptian professor says the discovery of prostate cancer in a 2,200-year-old mummy indicates the disease was caused by genetics, not environment.
From the CBC News-2012-1-30:14:6:3
NHS 'must back genetic medicine'
Putting genetic testing at the heart of the NHS could herald a "revolution" in diagnosing, treating and preventing disease, according to the government's genetics adviser.
From the BBC News-2012-1-25:14:6:1
Green Blog: Runaway Salmon Stir Conservation Worries
The disappearance of 300,000 farmed Scottish salmon from their cages in a storm has left many wondering whether they will breed with wild ones and upset the gene pool.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-25:8:5:2
Native dog breeds risk extinction
One of Britain's oldest native dog breeds - the English setter - is at risk of extinction, says the UK Kennel Club.
From the BBC News-2012-1-25:8:5:1
With DNA Testing, Adoptees Find a Way to Connect With Family
When access to adoption records is blocked, people have another avenue for finding clues to their ancestry and connections to blood relatives.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-24:8:5:2
Oldest dinosaur nest site found
A nesting site for dinosaur eggs found in South Africa is 100 million years older than the previous oldest site, palaeontologists say.
From the BBC News-2012-1-24:8:5:1
190 million-year-old dinosaur nesting site found
A Canadian-led team of international researchers has unearthed the 190-million-year-old nesting site of the prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus — predating previously known nesting grounds by 100 million years — at an excavation site in South Africa.
From the CBC News-2012-1-23:20:6:3
Remarkable Creatures: At La Brea Tar Pits, Relics From Long Before Freeways
At the La Brea Tar Pits, fossils preserved in tar provide a time capsule of the creatures that roamed Southern California 10,000 to 40,000 years ago.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-23:20:6:1
Green Blog: Unlocking Seaweed's Next-Gen Crude: Sugar
A startup pins its hopes on research showing that a genetically modified strain of bacteria can break down the sugars in brown seaweed, or macro-algae, to produce ethanol.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-23:20:6:2
Gene switch 'key to heart health'
Scientists may be closer to understanding how genes, and the way they switch off and on, can influence serious heart conditions.
From the BBC News-2012-1-23:8:5:1
Fossils of ancient sea creature discovered
Canadian researchers have discovered a bizarre flower-like creature which lived in an ancient sea that covered part of Western Canada more than 500 million years ago.
From the CBC News-2012-1-19:14:6:1
Lost Darwin fossils found by U.K. scientists
British scientists have found scores of fossils the great evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin and his peers collected but that had been lost for more than 150 years.
From the CBC News-2012-1-17:14:6:1
VIDEO: 'Spider-goat' makes silk in milk
Genetically modified goats at a farm in the US are being farmed to produce large quantities of spider silk, one of the strongest known substances.
From the BBC News-2012-1-17:8:5:2
VIDEO: Science copies how squid change colour
The gene which gives squids the ability to change colour and camouflage themselves has been recreated synthetically.
From the BBC News-2012-1-17:8:5:3
Lost Darwin fossils rediscovered
A "treasure trove" of fossils - including some collected by Charles Darwin - has been re-discovered in an old cabinet.
From the BBC News-2012-1-17:8:5:1
For Bio-Hackers, Lab Work Often Begins at Home
Hobbyists, dabbling in fields like genetics, are part of a movement called do-it-yourself biology, or DIYbio.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-16:20:6:1
Observatory: Primate Fossil Adds to Claw-Toenail Debate
A 47-million-year-old primate bone offers a clue in the debate over how claws and nails evolved.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-16:14:6:1
'Big cat' tests on deer carcass
DNA tests for "big cat activity" are being carried out on a roe deer carcass found near Stroud in Gloucestershire.
From the BBC News-2012-1-11:14:6:1
Human DNA decoded for $1K in 1 day
A biotechnology company announced it has developed a machine to decode an individual's DNA in a day for $1,000 US, a long-sought price goal for making the genome useful for medical care.
From the CBC News-2012-1-11:14:6:2
James F. Crow, Population Genetics Pioneer, Dies at 95
Dr. Crow was a leading exponent of a subject that aided the understanding of evolutionary change.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-11:8:5:1
VIDEO: Is life expectancy in our genes?
Scientists at the University of Glasgow say they have found a key genetic indicator of how long an individual will live.
From the BBC News-2012-1-10:14:6:1
Key life length indicator 'found'
Scientists at the University of Glasgow say they have discovered a key genetic indicator of how long an individual will live.
From the BBC News-2012-1-10:8:5:1
'Extinct' tortoise likely still exists, scientists say
Giant tortoises carrying DNA from a species believed extinct for 150 years are living in a remote part of the Galapagos Islands, raising hopes the original species is alive.
From the CBC News-2012-1-9:14:6:2
Extinct tortoise may still exist
A giant Galapagos tortoise believed extinct for 150 years probably still lives, say scientists who have found genetic traces of their existence.
From the BBC News-2012-1-9:14:6:1
Rare cats in Russia's wilderness
Wildlife vets track the world's rarest big cats in the forests of Russia, in an attempt to save them from extinction.
From the BBC News-2012-1-6:14:6:2
Ants turned into 'supersoldiers'
Scientists turn ants into "supersoldiers" with giant heads and jaws, in a study they say reveals hidden evolutionary potential in many species.
From the BBC News-2012-1-6:10:30:1
Spider-Man web 'nearing reality'
US researchers create silk worms that have been genetically modified to spin much stronger silk.
From the BBC News-2012-1-4:8:5:1
An interview with the mathematician and geneticist behind the Human Genome Project and the Broad Institute.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-2:14:6:2
Genome Research Points to Adaptation Among Early African-Americans
Certain disease-causing variant genes became more common in African-Americans after their ancestors reached American shores, scientists report.
From the NYTimes News-2012-1-2:14:6:1