Vandals damage ancient dinosaur footprint in Australia
Vandals 'took a hammer or rock' to a 115 million year old fossil, breaking off sections of its toes.
From the BBC News-2017-12-20:8:5:1
Sumatran rhino 'hanging on by a thread'
A genetic study shows the decline of one of the rarest mammals on Earth began during the last Ice Age.
From the BBC News-2017-12-15:8:5:1
Sea reptile fossil gives clues to life in ancient oceans
A new fossil is shedding light on the marine reptiles that swam at the time of the dinosaurs.
From the BBC News-2017-12-13:20:6:1
Last chance to save the 'panda of the sea' from extinction
A last-ditch effort to save the world's rarest marine mammal from extinction has been launched.
From the BBC News-2017-12-13:14:6:1
Another Human Foot Washes Ashore in Canada. That Makes 13.
A man walking his dog on Vancouver Island found a leg with a foot in a black sneaker on a beach. The authorities are trying to get a DNA sample from it.
From the NYTimes News-2017-12-12:14:6:3
Trilobites: Ticks Trapped in Amber Were Likely Sucking Dinosaur Blood
It is rare to find parasites with their hosts in the fossil record, and the discovery is the first direct evidence of the pests feeding on dinosaur blood.
From the NYTimes News-2017-12-12:14:6:2
Dracula ticks in amber tell ancient blood-sucking tale
Feathered dinosaurs were covered in ticks just like modern animals, according to fossil evidence.
From the BBC News-2017-12-12:14:6:1
'Worrying alarm call' for world's birds on brink of extinction
Seabirds such as the kittiwake are being pushed to the brink of extinction, say conservationists.
From the BBC News-2017-12-11:20:6:1
Q&A: Neanderthals: The Original Globetrotters
Modern humans and Neanderthals had a long history together. Many of us still carry the genetic traces.
From the NYTimes News-2017-12-11:14:6:2
Irish DNA map reveals history's imprint
Scientists have unveiled a detailed genetic map of Ireland, revealing subtle DNA differences that may reflect historic events.
From the BBC News-2017-12-11:14:6:1
DNA Tattoos Are the Final Frontier of Love
A nifty new patented technology allows you to take your loved ones with you wherever and forever. Yes, even cats. Talk about “Winona Forever”!
From the NYTimes News-2017-12-9:20:6:1
Researchers find 'oldest ever eye' in fossil
The remains of the extinct sea creature include an early form of the eye seen in many of today's animals.
From the BBC News-2017-12-7:14:6:1
Trilobites: This Duck-Like Dinosaur Could Swim. That Isn’t the Strangest Thing About it.
With a swan-like neck and flippers, this raptor’s hodgepodge of features left paleontologists working to confirm that this fossil was a fraud.
From the NYTimes News-2017-12-6:20:6:1
IUCN Red List: Wild crops listed as threatened
Wild relatives of modern crops deemed crucial for food security are threatened with extinction.
From the BBC News-2017-12-5:8:5:1
'Unnatural' microbe can make proteins
A bacterium made with "unnatural" DNA assembles proteins - a key characteristic of a functioning organism.
From the BBC News-2017-11-29:20:6:1
Trophy hunting removes 'good genes' and raises extinction risk
Hunting animals with the biggest horns, tusks or manes could lead to extinction, according to a study.
From the BBC News-2017-11-29:14:6:1
Bird pulled from brink of extinction facing poisoning threat
The red kite is still at risk from poisoning despite the success of conservation schemes, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-11-28:8:5:1
Gene Therapy Hits a Peculiar Roadblock: A Virus Shortage
Revolutionary new treatments depend on tailor-made viruses, but laboratories cannot make them fast enough.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-27:20:6:1
Dolly the sheep health fears 'unfounded'
Concerns that Dolly the cloned sheep had early-onset arthritis were unfounded, scientists say.
From the BBC News-2017-11-23:14:6:1
How dinosaur scales became bird feathers
The genes that caused scales to become feathers in the early ancestors of birds have been found by US scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-11-22:8:5:1
New Gene Treatment Effective for Some Leukemia Patients
By genetically altering a patient’s T-cells to attack more than one site on cancer cells, researchers hope to devise better treatments.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-20:14:6:1
Retro Report: Questioning Evolution: The Push to Change Science Class
Legislation and lawsuits that reject scientific consensus on issues like evolution and climate change are changing the way science is taught in some schools.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-20:8:5:1
Trilobites: How Snapdragons Beckon Bees With More Than One Color
Subspecies of the flowers share most of their genes, but differ in a handful that lead to some being yellow on magenta and others being magenta on yellow.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-17:20:6:1
First gene-editing in human body attempt
Gene-editing has been attempted on cells inside a patient, in a world first by doctors in California.
From the BBC News-2017-11-17:8:5:1
F.D.A. Speeds Review of Gene Therapies, Vowing to Target Rogue Clinics
The agency plans to speed approval of treatments to get them to the market faster, signaling the quickened pace of advancements in this field.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-16:20:6:3
Trilobites: A Population of Billions May Have Contributed to This Bird’s Extinction
A new study suggests passenger pigeons were hyper-adapted to living in a large, stable population, leaving them unable to cope when humans hunted them en masse.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-16:20:6:2
Matter: ‘Gene Drives’ Are Too Risky for Field Trials, Scientists Say
New research casts doubt on a gene-editing strategy that scientists had hoped to use against invasive species and epidemic diseases.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-16:20:6:1
Singapore welcomes rare blue macaw parrots
Singapore and Brazil are working together to bring two blue macaw species back from near-extinction.
From the BBC News-2017-11-16:8:5:1
The Secret to Long Life? It May Lurk in the DNA of the Oldest Among Us
James Clement has scoured the globe for supercentenarians, aged 110 and older, willing to contribute their genomes to a rare scientific cache.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-13:14:6:1
Gene Therapy Creates New Skin to Save a Dying Child
Doctors grew sheets of healthy skin that were transplanted onto a boy with a genetic disease that caused blistering and tearing all over his body.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-8:14:6:2
Trilobites: The Circadian Clock in Your Nose
Adolescents’ sense of smell worked best during evening hours, a pattern that may be rooted in human evolution.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-8:14:6:1
Fossil of 'our earliest ancestors' found in Dorset
Teeth of the oldest mammals related to humans have been discovered on the Jurassic coast of Dorset.
From the BBC News-2017-11-7:8:5:1
Trilobites: The Humongous Fungus and the Genes That Made It That Way
A new genetic analysis reveals the tactics that helped fungi in the Armillaria genus get so good at expanding and killing host plants.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-3:20:6:1
Yellowstone Grizzlies May Soon Commingle With Northern Cousins
The male bears have become more adventurous, which could improve genetic diversity in long-isolated populations.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-3:8:5:1
Trilobites: Male Mammoths Died in ‘Silly Ways’ More Often Than Females, Study Finds
Most preserved fossils of the beasts are male, scientists found, which offers insights into mammoth behavior.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-2:14:6:1
Trilobites: Ancient Fossil Offers a New European Ancestor to Giraffes
Found near Madrid, the fossil provides evidence that members of the giraffe family roamed Europe much earlier.
From the NYTimes News-2017-11-1:14:6:1
Asteroid impact plunged dinosaurs into catastrophic 'winter'
Scientists are now clearer on the freezing climate conditions that forced dinosaurs from the Earth.
From the BBC News-2017-10-31:20:6:1
Dinosaur sported 'bandit mask'
A dinosaur from China had a "bandit mask" pattern in the feather on its faces, fossil analysis has shown.
From the BBC News-2017-10-26:20:6:1
Ichthyosaur fossil discovered for first time in India
The fossil, which is 152 million years old, is the first ichthyosaur found in India.
From the BBC News-2017-10-26:8:5:1
Using DNA to Sketch What Victims Look Like; Some Call It Science Fiction
DNA phenotyping uses genes from human remains to give police an idea of what an unknown person looked like. Critics say the technology isn’t ready for crime-fighting.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-19:14:6:1
F.D.A. Approves Second Gene-Altering Treatment for Cancer
The treatment will be for adults with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when chemotherapy has failed. It re-engineers a patient’s own cells to fight cancer.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-19:8:5:1
Scientists aren’t entirely sure how wolves evolved into dogs, but new research into the genetic and social behavior of wolf pups may offer some clues.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-13:14:6:2
DNA study provides insight into how to live longer
A year in school adds nearly a year to your life, study in Edinburgh shows.
From the BBC News-2017-10-13:14:6:1
Trilobites: In Easter Island DNA, Evidence of Genetic Loneliness
DNA analysis of Pre-Columbian human remains suggest natives of South America may not have intermingled with the Polynesians who built the fascinating Moai statues.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-12:20:6:1
Matter: Genes for Skin Color Rebut Dated Notions of Race, Researchers Say
Humans have long shared a genetic palette for skin pigmentation, slightly tweaked by evolution, scientists report.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-12:14:6:1
New evidence on how birds took to the air
Key modifications for flight happened as early as 120 million years ago, a fossil discovery suggests.
From the BBC News-2017-10-9:20:6:1
Trilobites: A Stick Insect. A Tree Lobster. Whatever You Call It, It’s Not Extinct
A genetic analysis showed that a stick insect found on another island was the same species as one that had been wiped out by rats on Australia’s Lord Howe Island.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-6:14:6:1
In a First, Gene Therapy Halts a Fatal Brain Disease
With a disabled AIDS virus, doctors supply a gene to boys with a degenerative neural condition.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-5:20:6:1
Matter: Ancient Viruses Are Buried in Your DNA
Endogenous retroviruses wormed into the human genome eons ago. Today viral genes continue to produce a variety of mysterious proteins in the body.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-4:14:6:1
Trilobites: Slow and Steady, a Tortoise Is Winning Its Race With Extinction
The Burmese Star Tortoise was called functionally extinct by ecologists, but a captive breeding program in Myanmar has saved them, a study says.
From the NYTimes News-2017-10-4:8:5:1
Prehistoric reptile's last meal revealed
The fossil of a marine reptile from 199 million years ago gives clues to the diet of baby reptiles.
From the BBC News-2017-10-3:8:5:1
The Zika Virus Grew Deadlier With a Small Mutation, Study Suggests
A single variation in its DNA may have helped equip the virus to attack fetal cells, contributing to a surge of birth defects in Latin America.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-28:20:6:2
Trilobites: The Evolutionary Event That Gave You Pumpkins and Squash
About 100 million years ago, the genome of a melon-like fruit copied itself, leading to fruits now associated with autumn, scientists have found.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-28:20:6:1
DNA surgery on embryos removes disease
A Chinese team corrected the potentially fatal blood disorder beta-thalassemia.
From the BBC News-2017-9-28:8:5:1
A Battle to Save the World’s Favorite Treat: Chocolate
In Costa Rica, researchers are cloning cacao hybrids resistant to frosty pod rot, a blight that has spread throughout Latin America.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-25:8:5:1
Matter: Clues to Africa’s Mysterious Past Found in Ancient Skeletons
An analysis of DNA recovered from fossils thousands of years old hints at enormous migrations that shaped the continent.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-21:14:6:4
UK scientists edit DNA of human embryos
Understanding the first moments of life could lead to better IVF and explain why women miscarry.
From the BBC News-2017-9-21:14:6:3
Ancient DNA sheds light on African history
DNA from ancient remains is used to reconstruct thousands of years of population history in Africa.
From the BBC News-2017-9-21:14:6:2
Plant-eating dinosaurs 'strayed from veggie diet'
The idea of plant-eating dinosaurs having a strict vegetarian diet is called into question.
From the BBC News-2017-9-21:14:6:1
The lecture that changed biology
Evolutionary biologist Matthew Cobb unpicks a lecture that, sixty years ago, set the course for the genetic revolution.
From the BBC News-2017-9-21:8:5:1
Trilobites: Genes Color a Butterfly’s Wings. Now Scientists Want to Do It Themselves.
In two new studies, researchers turned to DNA editing to learn how master genes shape the patterns and colors of butterfly wings.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-18:20:6:2
Size matters when it comes to extinction risk
The biggest and the smallest of the world's fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles are most at risk of dying out.
From the BBC News-2017-9-18:20:6:1
New Gene-Therapy Treatments Will Carry Whopping Price Tags
Kymriah, approved recently by the F.D.A., with a $475,000 price tag, is first of a coming wave of treatments whose expected prices have alarmed economists, scientists and insurers.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-12:8:5:1
Trilobites: Starting Fires to Unearth How Neanderthals Made Glue
Some 200,000 years ago, Neanderthals used tar to attach handles to tools and weapons. Archaeologists performed experiments to show how they could have made this adhesive.
From the NYTimes News-2017-9-7:14:6:1
How to create a digital copy of dinosaur fossils
Palaeontologists are turning to technology to preserve dinosaur fossils.
From the BBC News-2017-9-5:8:5:1
F.D.A. Approves First Gene-Altering Leukemia Treatment, Costing $475,000
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first treatment that genetically alters a patient’s own cells to fight cancer. It will cost $475,000.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-30:20:6:1
With a Simple DNA Test, Family Histories Are Rewritten
Widespread DNA testing has shed light on the ancestry of millions of Americans. But these services have limitations, and the results can be uncertain.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-28:20:6:1
With a Drop of Saliva, Family Histories Are Rewritten
Widespread DNA testing has shed light on the ancestry of millions of Americans. But these services have limitations, and the results can be uncertain.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-28:14:6:1
'Sea dragon' fossil is 'largest on record'
A 200-million-year-old fossil 're-discovered' in a museum is something special, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-8-28:8:5:1
Utah Paleontologists Turn to Crowdfunding for Raptor Project
Work on a huge sandstone slab with fossils of the enigmatic Utahraptor is stalled for lack of money. But the team hopes public support can get it back on track.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-28:8:5:2
'Frankenstein dinosaur' mystery solved
A dinosaur that seemed to be an evolutionary mishmash turns out to have a key place in history.
From the BBC News-2017-8-16:8:5:1
Bats set up home inside dinosaur at Devon theme park
The lesser horseshoe bats moved in to the belly of a triceratops at the Wildlife and Dinosaur Park.
From the BBC News-2017-8-14:8:5:1
Gene Editing Spurs Hope for Transplanting Pig Organs Into Humans
Geneticists have created piglets free of retroviruses, an important step toward creating a new supply of organs for transplant patients.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-10:20:6:1
Giant dinosaur slims down... a bit
Scientists revise their estimate of the bulk of a colossal titanosaur, but not by much.
From the BBC News-2017-8-10:14:6:1
First 'winged' mammals flew over dinosaurs
Fossils of the first "winged" mammals, from 160 million years ago, are discovered in China.
From the BBC News-2017-8-10:8:5:1
Matter: When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Mammals Took to the Skies
New fossil discoveries show that prehistoric “squirrels” glided through forests at least 160 million years ago, long before scientists had thought.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-9:14:6:1
News Analysis: Gene Editing for ‘Designer Babies’? Highly Unlikely, Scientists Say
Fears that embryo modification could allow parents to custom order a baby with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s imagination or Usain Bolt’s speed are closer to science fiction than science.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-5:8:5:1
DNA clue to origins of early Greek civilization
DNA is shedding light on the people who built Greece's earliest civilizations.
From the BBC News-2017-8-3:8:5:1
In Breakthrough, Scientists Edit a Dangerous Mutation From Genes in Human Embryos
Researchers have found a way to reliably remove disease-causing mutations from human embryos, an achievement sure to renew concerns over so-called designer babies.
From the NYTimes News-2017-8-2:14:6:1
Cricket's summer song making a comeback
How field crickets are being brought back from the brink of extinction by a unique conservation project.
From the BBC News-2017-7-29:8:5:1
Trilobites: Scientists Give a Chrysanthemum the Blues
There are few true blue flowers in nature, but plant geneticists are determined to create them anyway.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-28:20:6:1
Secrets of the world's toughest creatures revealed
DNA analyses of tardigrades has given scientists an insight into their incredible survival abilities.
From the BBC News-2017-7-28:8:5:1
Trilobites: Fate of Ancient Canaanites Seen in DNA Analysis: They Survived
A study of ancient DNA recovered from remains found in Lebanon contradicts a biblical story that an ancient war wiped out the group.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-27:20:6:1
A Rush to Develop ‘Utterly Transformative’ Gene Therapies Against Cancer
Gene therapy for cancer is becoming a reality but works best for blood cancers like leukemia and not so well yet in more common ones like lung cancer.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-23:20:6:1
New Mexico boy trips over 1.2 million year old fossil
A 10-year-old boy's stumble unearthed a prehistoric skull, which he then got the chance to help excavate.
From the BBC News-2017-7-20:20:6:1
Poaching pushes pangolin closer to extinction
Pangolins in the forests of Africa are at risk of being pushed to extinction like their Asian relatives.
From the BBC News-2017-7-20:14:6:1
Why dogs are friendly - it's written in their genes
Being friendly is in dogs' nature and could be key to how they were domesticated from wolves.
From the BBC News-2017-7-20:8:5:1
Why Are Dogs So Friendly? The Answer May Be in 2 Genes
A team of researchers reported that the friendliness of dogs may share a genetic basis with a human disease called Williams-Beuren syndrome.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-19:20:6:1
A 9-Year-Old Tripped, Fell and Discovered a Million-Year-Old Fossil
Jude Sparks was playing with his brothers in New Mexico when he stumbled over the fossilized tusk of a Stegomastodon, a prehistoric, elephantine creature.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-19:14:6:2
UK rhino eggs 'could save last northern whites'
A UK zoo is taking part in a radical plan to save the world's last northern white rhinos from extinction.
From the BBC News-2017-7-19:14:6:1
In South Asian Social Castes, a Living Lab for Genetic Disease
Millenniums of marriages within well-defined subgroups in South Asia have created many populations with higher risks of recessive disease, according to new research.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-17:14:6:1
Gif and image written into the DNA of bacteria
Images and a short film are inserted into bacteria DNA and recovered with 90% accuracy.
From the BBC News-2017-7-12:20:6:1
Who Needs Hard Drives? Scientists Store Film Clip in DNA
In a first, researchers converted a movie into a DNA sequence and inserted it into bacteria. They hope to someday use the technology to record cell behavior.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-12:20:6:2
Following the Eyes for a Clue to Autism
Researchers studied where toddlers focused their eyes when watching a video in order to find the genetic underpinnings of brain development and autism.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-12:20:6:3
Era of ‘Biological Annihilation’ Is Underway, Scientists Warn
A new paper describes the threatened mass extinction of thousands of animal species around the globe. The authors say that human activities are in large part to blame.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-12:14:6:2
Study of How We Look at Faces May Offer Insight Into Autism
The research suggests that genetics underlie how children seek out formative social experiences like making eye contact or observing facial expressions.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-12:14:6:1
Fossil sheds light on bird evolution after asteroid strike
Newly-discovered fossil suggests birds evolved very rapidly after the dinosaurs went extinct.
From the BBC News-2017-7-10:20:6:1
Studying Sharks, Up Close and Personal
Join researchers from Nova Southeastern University in 360 degrees as they conduct shark tagging and genetic field work off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-9:8:5:1
Trilobites: In a Lost Baby Tooth, Scientists Find Ancient Denisovan DNA
The molar is from what researchers say is only the fourth individual member of the elusive species of ancient human cousins.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-7:20:6:1
Trilobites: They Were Shorter and at Risk for Arthritis, but They Survived an Ice Age
A genetic mutation that knocks a centimeter off height and increases the risk for arthritis may have helped early humans in Europe and Asia to survive, a new study shows.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-6:14:6:1
Giant croc had teeth like a T. rex
Researchers have described new fossils belonging to an extinct crocodile-like creature that had a set of serrated teeth like those of a T. rex.
From the BBC News-2017-7-4:14:6:1
Matter: In Neanderthal DNA, Signs of a Mysterious Human Migration
A new genetic analysis finds that ancient Africans walked into Europe 270,000 years ago, much earlier than previously known, and interbred with Neanderthals.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-4:14:6:2
Trilobites: Strange Mammals That Stumped Darwin Finally Find a Home
Fossils of bizarre creatures called Macrauchenia have long baffled scientists, who used DNA to confirm when they diverged from horses, rhinos and tapirs.
From the NYTimes News-2017-7-3:20:6:2
Frog evolution linked to dinosaur asteroid strike
The huge diversity of frogs we see today is mainly a consequence of the asteroid strike that killed off the dinosaurs, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2017-7-3:20:6:1
Raptor plunging to extinction in England
There are just four breeding pairs of the iconic bird of prey left in England.
From the BBC News-2017-6-28:8:5:1
Turkey Drops Evolution From Curriculum, Angering Secularists
A chapter on evolution will no longer appear in ninth graders’ textbooks because it is considered too “controversial” an idea, an education official said.
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-23:20:6:1
Review: In ‘Food Evolution,’ Scientists Strike Back
Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s documentary gives G.M.O. opponents their say, but leaves the last word to food technologists, who insist on reviewing the data.
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-22:20:6:1
Koalas 'facing extinction' in some Australian states
The conservation group WWF is warning that koalas could be wiped out in some Australian states amid deforestation and increasing attacks by livestock.
From the BBC News-2017-6-22:8:5:1
The power of a billion: India's genomics revolution
Could an effort to gather genetic data from its population of one billion people help India take the lead in advanced healthcare?
From the BBC News-2017-6-21:20:6:1
Explorer: In the Footsteps of Charles Darwin
A land-based vacation in the Galápagos offers snorkeling, cave exploration, mountain hikes, tortoises and, sometimes, a little mystery.
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-20:8:5:1
Volcanoes 'triggered dawn of dinosaurs'
A million-year-long period of volcanic activity led to the rise of the dinosaurs, a study suggests.
From the BBC News-2017-6-19:20:6:1
Genome pioneer John Sulston enters elite club
Sir John Sulston is elevated to the Companion of Honour in the Queen's birthday list.
From the BBC News-2017-6-16:20:6:1
Matter: Scientists Discover a Key to a Longer Life in Male DNA
Researchers have found a genetic mutation linked to longer life span — but only in men. It joins a very short list of gene variants with similar effects.
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-16:14:6:1
Cancer Drug Proves to Be Effective Against Multiple Tumors
The drug, Keytruda, is the first approved for patients with tumors with a particular genetic signature, wherever they appear in the body.
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-8:20:6:1
Fossils of five early humans have been found in North Africa that show Homo sapiens emerged at least 100,000 years earlier than previously recognised.
From the BBC News-2017-6-7:20:6:1
Matter: Oldest Fossils of Homo Sapiens Found in Morocco, Altering History of Our Species
Newly discovered fossils indicate Homo sapiens were present in Africa 300,000 years ago, scientists reported. Until now, the earliest evidence dated back just 195,000 years.
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-7:14:6:2
'First of our kind' found in Morocco
Fossils of modern humans uncovered in north Africa are at least 300,000 years old.
From the BBC News-2017-6-7:14:6:1
How a Galápagos Bird Lost the Ability to Fly
Scientists have identified the genes that led to the Galápagos cormorant becoming Earth-bound
From the NYTimes News-2017-6-1:20:6:1
The Last Animals - fighting to save animals from extinction
Kate Brooks' documentary focuses on individuals trying to save animals from extinction.
From the BBC News-2017-6-1:8:5:1
Challenging Mainstream Thought About Beauty’s Big Hand in Evolution
Are aesthetic judgments about mates invariably tied to traits we see as adaptive and worth passing on? Or, does beauty just ‘happen’?
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-29:20:6:1
Trilobites: Somehow, This Fish Fathered a Near Clone of Itself
A fish was discovered carrying genes only from its father, a result of a rare phenomenon called androgenesis never before documented in vertebrates.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-26:14:6:1
Rare Gene Mutations Inspire New Heart Drugs
Some people carry gene mutations that leave them nearly impervious to heart attacks. Learning how these mutations work has led to a novel experimental treatment.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-24:20:6:2
ScienceTake: How Demands of Female Birds Changed the DNA of a Species
Researchers found the minimal changes in DNA that have produced nine different species of southern capuchino seedeaters.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-24:20:6:1
A man abandoned as a baby 61 years ago traced his family using a DNA detective. But what do they do?
From the BBC News-2017-5-23:8:5:1
Trilobites: These Baby Mice Were Born From Sperm That Went to Space
Although tests did find slightly increased DNA damage, compared with freeze-dried earth sperm, the space version did the job when it came to fertilizing eggs.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-22:20:6:1
Matter: In ‘Enormous Success,’ Scientists Tie 52 Genes to Human Intelligence
The genes account for just a tiny fraction of the variation in test scores, experts say. Many are yet to be found, and environmental factors are also greatly important.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-22:14:6:1
Trilobites: Genetic Tidying Up Made Humped Bladderworts Into Carnivorous Plants
A new study identifies the evolutionary refinements that gave rise to floating, rootless plants that can trap and digest, like super-fast Venus flytraps.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-19:20:6:1
Snail's DNA secrets unlocked in fight against river disease
Scientists have decoded the genome of a snail involved in the spread of a deadly parasitic disease.
From the BBC News-2017-5-16:14:6:1
The Health Issue: The Genetics of Pooched-Out Pooches
A mutation in some obesity-prone dog breeds might reveal new risk factors for obesity in humans — and perhaps one day give rise to new drugs.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-16:8:5:2
Rare Mexican porpoise faces 'imminent extinction'
A fishing ban extension is said to be the best hope for the world's most endangered marine species.
From the BBC News-2017-5-16:8:5:1
‘Dinosaur Mummy’ Emerges From the Oil Sands of Alberta
The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta, is putting on display the best-preserved fossil of a 110 million-year-old dinosaur ever found.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-13:8:5:1
New Gene Tests Pose a Threat to Insurers
Many consumers will soon have a better sense of their risk for Alzheimer’s and other debilitating conditions. Insurers will have no way of knowing.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-12:20:6:2
Trilobites: A Gene Mystery: How Are Rats With No Y Chromosome Born Male?
The cells of Japan’s Amami spiny rat have unusual sexual flexibility, a possible clue to how the animal differentiates into female and male sexes, new research suggests.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-12:20:6:1
Lions face same extinct threats as Ice Age cats - study
Two big cats including the African lion are most at risk from extinction due to loss of prey, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-5-11:14:6:1
A Baffling Brain Defect Is Linked to Gut Bacteria, Scientists Say
A serendipitous experiment in mice suggests that patients with a mutated gene are more susceptible if they harbor certain types of bacteria.
From the NYTimes News-2017-5-10:20:6:1
Identity of famous baby dinosaur fossil revealed
The fossil of a hatchling dinosaur dubbed Baby Louie is recognised as a new species of feathered dinosaur.
From the BBC News-2017-5-10:8:5:1
Rare ammonite 'death drag' fossil discovered
The creature's shell made a 8.5m-long mark as it drifted along the seafloor 150 million years ago.
From the BBC News-2017-5-8:20:6:1
Jurassic animal found on Skye 'fed milk to young'
A fossil found on Skye of the early mammal suggests it had a set of milk teeth, say palaeontologists.
From the BBC News-2017-5-4:8:5:1
Rare Russian tiger returns to the wild
Amur tigers were nearly driven to extinction, but conservation work in Russia is helping them bouncing back slowly.
From the BBC News-2017-5-3:20:6:1
Fossil sheds light on 'Jurassic Park' dinosaurs
A fossil kept in storage in a museum for decades turns out to that of a new species, say researchers.
From the BBC News-2017-5-2:8:5:2
Secrets of tea plant revealed by science
Botanists unlock the genetic workings of the tea plant, in a move that could improve flavour.
From the BBC News-2017-5-2:8:5:1
DNA of extinct humans found in caves
The DNA of extinct humans can be retrieved from sediment in caves - even in the absences of skeletal remains.
From the BBC News-2017-4-28:14:6:1
Ancient Horse DNA Shows Scythian Warriors Were Adept Domesticators
Modern genetic tools have provided new details of how domestication changes animals as they become entwined with humans.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-27:20:6:2
No Bones About It: Scientists Recover Ancient DNA From Cave Dirt
With a new technique, German researchers isolated Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA from sediment alone, opening new possibilities in archaeology.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-27:20:6:1
'Fossil' groundwater's modern secret
The deepest and oldest waters on Earth are not immune from contamination, warn scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-4-26:14:6:1
'World's oldest fungus' raises evolution questions
Fossils found in rock from beneath the sea may be the oldest known fungi by one to two billion years.
From the BBC News-2017-4-25:8:5:1
DNA Tests, and Sometimes Surprising Results
Think you know your racial background? A communications studies project involving ancestry DNA testing has led to interesting conversations on identity.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-23:8:5:1
Meet Three Scientists Ready to March
Shadow three scientists as they work with wolves and butterflies, DNA and tide pools before they attend one of the March for Science demonstrations around the country.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-22:8:5:1
Matter: Why Are Some Mice (and People) Monogamous? A Study Points to Genes
A groundbreaking study has found that genetic variations in mice are linked to parental care and monogamy, the first time such a link has been found in mammals.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-19:14:6:1
Trilobites: A Dinosaur Cousin’s Crocodile Ankles Surprise Paleontologists
The features of 245-million-year-old Teleocrater fossils may help fill in our understanding of how dinosaurs evolved.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-13:8:5:1
Early dinosaur relative walked like a croc
A new fossil suggests an early relative of dinosaurs had some features we associate today with crocodiles and alligators.
From the BBC News-2017-4-12:14:6:1
Mystery of why shoelaces come undone unravelled by science
The authors say the research can be applied to other structures, such as DNA.
From the BBC News-2017-4-12:8:5:1
F.D.A. Will Allow 23andMe to Sell Genetic Tests for Disease Risk to Consumers
Lifting an earlier moratorium, the agency said the company could report the risks for 10 diseases under certain controls.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-6:20:6:2
Trilobites: A Genetic Oddity May Give Octopuses and Squids Their Smarts
Unlike other organisms, coleoid cephalopods make extensive use of RNA editing, which could slow their evolution but may make their behavior more complex than other invertebrates.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-6:20:6:1
Take a Number: What Makes a City Ant? Maybe Just 100 Years of Evolution
A century or so of evolution may have allowed tiny acorn ants to thrive in a warm, urban environment.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-3:14:6:2
Do Seas Make Us Sick? Surfers May Have the Answer
Researchers are studying the effects of antibiotic-resistant genes in the oceans.
From the NYTimes News-2017-4-3:14:6:1
How the mouse came to live alongside humans
The origins of house mice go back about 15,000 years to the Middle East, fossil evidence suggests.
From the BBC News-2017-3-28:8:5:1
Fossil tracks are Australia's 'Jurassic Park'
Scientists describe a remarkable collection of dinosaur tracks on beaches in Western Australia.
From the BBC News-2017-3-27:8:5:1
British scientists claim major advance in TB treatment
Researchers are using genome sequencing to make sure patients get the right drugs more quickly.
From the BBC News-2017-3-24:8:5:1
An award-winning artist brings ancient fossil discoveries to life through illustrations.
From the BBC News-2017-3-23:8:5:1
Major shake-up suggests dinosaurs may have 'UK origin'
Scientists reclassify dinosaurs, putting British fossils at the base of their family tree.
From the BBC News-2017-3-22:14:6:1
Genetically-modified crops have benefits - Princess Anne
The Princess Royal's views in a BBC radio show appear to be at odds with those of the Prince of Wales.
From the BBC News-2017-3-22:8:5:2
Princess Anne: GM crops 'have real benefits'
Princess Anne has told the BBC's Farming Today she believes gene technology has important benefits to offer in terms of providing food.
From the BBC News-2017-3-22:8:5:3
Fossil named after Sir David Attenborough
The ancient arthropod, found in Herefordshire, joins a long list of items named after the TV legend.
From the BBC News-2017-3-22:8:5:1
Tiny genetic change lets bird flu leap to humans
A change in just a single 'letter' of the flu virus allows bird flu to pass to humans, according to scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-3-21:14:6:1
'Oldest plants on Earth' discovered
The origins of plants may go back hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought, according to fossil evidence.
From the BBC News-2017-3-14:20:6:1
Trilobites: A Start Date for the Bison Invasion of North America
The serendipitous discovery of a fossil in northern Canada suggests that the furry, horned beasts crossed over from Asia more than 130,000 years ago.
From the NYTimes News-2017-3-13:20:6:1
How Darwin Evolved: 25,540 Paper Fragments Tell the Story
Researchers at the American Museum of Natural History have used superfast computers to reorganize the raw notes that formed “On the Origin of Species.”
From the NYTimes News-2017-3-13:14:6:1
DNA provides window into early Aboriginal history
Scientists use hair to locate where distinct groups lived in Australia up to 50,000 years ago.
From the BBC News-2017-3-9:14:6:2
Oldest croc eggs discovered in dinosaur nest
The oldest crocodilian eggs known to science have been discovered in the cliffs of western Portugal.
From the BBC News-2017-3-9:14:6:1
Matter: How Did Aborigines Get to Australia? DNA Helps Solve a Mystery
Scientists used a genetic test to discover that the ancestors of Aboriginal Australians arrived 50,000 years ago and spread along the coastlines.
From the NYTimes News-2017-3-8:14:6:2
New insight into secret lives of Neanderthals
Neanderthals dosed themselves with painkillers and possibly penicillin, according to a study of their teeth.
From the BBC News-2017-3-8:14:6:1
The Woolly Mammoth’s Last Stand
A new study shows how an endangered or declining species may result in an irreversible genetic meltdown.
From the NYTimes News-2017-3-2:20:6:2
DNA clues to why woolly mammoth died out
The last woolly mammoths were wracked with genetic disease and had a strange shiny coat, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-3-2:20:6:1
Matter: Scientists Say Canadian Bacteria Fossils Are Earth’s Oldest
Ancient rocks have yielded tiny fossil-like formations up to 4.2 billion years old, researchers reported. But some experts are skeptical.
From the NYTimes News-2017-3-1:14:6:2
First evidence of life on Earth 'found'
Researchers discover fossils of what may be some of earliest living organisms.
From the BBC News-2017-3-1:14:6:1
'Best ever' view of what a dinosaur really looked like
Lasers reveal invisible details of the shape of a feathered dinosaur that lived 160 million years ago.
From the BBC News-2017-3-1:8:5:1
Trilobites: In an Ancient Burial Place, 3 Centuries of One Woman’s Descendants
A study of DNA from 14 bodies in a burial site in New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon found a matrilineal link, raising questions about a society’s structure.
From the NYTimes News-2017-2-24:14:6:1
GM hens help build 'frozen aviary' in Edinburgh
Genetically-modified hens that can lay eggs from different poultry breeds are helping scientists set up a "frozen aviary" to conserve rare birds.
From the BBC News-2017-2-17:14:6:1
Trilobites: After Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly, Fossils Suggest
A teenager’s fossil hunt two decades agao may have changed paleontologists’ understanding of how long it took to recover from the “Great Dying” 252 million years ago.
From the NYTimes News-2017-2-16:20:6:1
Harvard and M.I.T. Scientists Win Gene-Editing Patent Fight
The ruling gives the Broad Institute the potentially lucrative rights, a blow to the University of California, often said to be the birthplace of the technique.
From the NYTimes News-2017-2-15:20:6:1
Human Gene Editing Receives Science Panel’s Support
Pressed by controversial, advancing technology, an influential committee laid out the conditions under which human embryos might be engineered with heritable traits.
From the NYTimes News-2017-2-14:14:6:2
First live birth evidence in dinosaur relative
Scientists have uncovered the first evidence of live births in the group of animals that includes dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds.
From the BBC News-2017-2-14:14:6:1
Conflicting Views on a Wider Police Use of DNA
At a public meeting, experts shared their views on whether investigators should be able to study the DNA of relatives of crime suspects.
From the NYTimes News-2017-2-11:8:5:1
Sound of crickets 'could become a thing of the past'
A quarter of Europe's cricket and grasshopper species are being driven to extinction, say experts.
From the BBC News-2017-2-9:20:6:1
Orangutan squeaks reveal language evolution, says study
The way orangutans communicate could shed light on humans' first words.
From the BBC News-2017-2-8:20:6:1
Quinoa genome could see 'super-food' prices tumble
Scientists say that decoding the quinoa genome could cut the cost of this nutritious but underutilised crop.
From the BBC News-2017-2-8:14:6:1
Norfolk beach rhino fossil revealed by storm surge
The rhino found on a Norfolk beach dates back about 700,000 years.
From the BBC News-2017-2-6:14:6:1
Why aren't we gene editing people to be my size?
Kiruna Stamell, who has dwarfism, explains her problem with gene editing.
From the BBC News-2017-2-3:8:5:1
Trilobites: Finding the Speed of Evolution in a Study of Bird Beaks
Much of the variety in the bills of today’s birds evolved long ago, very quickly, a study found, yet bill evolution didn’t slow down over time.
From the NYTimes News-2017-2-1:20:6:1
How birds of a feather evolved together
Research shows how birds acquired beaks of all shapes and sizes over millions of years of evolution.
From the BBC News-2017-2-1:14:6:1
'Tuberculosis-resistant' cattle developed in China
Scientists in China say they have produced cloned cattle with increased resistance to bovine tuberculosis.
From the BBC News-2017-2-1:8:5:2
New 'super yield' GM wheat trial gets go-ahead
A new experimental crop of genetically modified (GM) wheat will be planted this spring after the UK government gave the final go-ahead.
From the BBC News-2017-2-1:8:5:1
'Startling' dinosaur protein discovery
Ancient proteins dating back 195 million years have been found inside a dinosaur bone.
From the BBC News-2017-1-31:14:6:1
Family DNA Searches Seen as Crime-Solving Tool, and Intrusion on Rights
An unsolved Queens killing has led to calls for widening DNA searches to include relatives of possible suspects. But the method, a frontier in forensic science, has critics.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-27:20:6:2
A Genetic Fix to Put the Taste Back in Tomatoes
University of Florida scientists say they have found a recipe that would return flavor that has been lost through breeding of modern hybrids.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-27:20:6:1
Australia's 'fairy possum' faces uncertain future
A tiny possum, an emblem of the state of Victoria in Australia, is rapidly heading towards extinction, say scientists.
From the BBC News-2017-1-27:14:6:1
Trilobites: 6 Million Years Ago, Otters the Size of Wolves Roamed China’s Wetlands
Fossils of the extinct relative of modern-day otters suggest that it was six feet long, and it had jaws that could possibly crack through shellfish.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-25:20:6:1
Extra letters added to bug genetic code
Scientists have created bacteria that thrive using an expanded "genetic alphabet".
From the BBC News-2017-1-24:14:6:1
Basics: Gene-Modified Ants Shed Light on How Societies Are Organized
Daniel Kronauer’s transgenic ants offer scientists the chance to explore the evolution of animal societies — and, perhaps, our own.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-23:20:6:1
Trilobites: Tasmanian Tigers’ Brains Yield Clues Long After Extinction
The last thylacine died in a zoo in 1936, but neural scans of preserved specimens revealed that they may have been more intelligent than previously believed.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-20:20:6:1
A Conversation With: What Did Neanderthals Leave to Modern Humans? Some Surprises
Genes inherited from Neanderthals may have made some modern humans heartier, but also more prone to depression and other diseases.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-20:8:5:1
Primates facing 'extinction crisis'
Primates are facing an extinction crisis, according to researchers who have found that 60% of species are under threat.
From the BBC News-2017-1-18:20:6:1
Matter: Almost Two-Thirds of Primate Species Near Extinction, Scientists Find
From gorillas to gibbons, a wide-ranging survey finds that the world’s primates are in steep decline.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-18:14:6:2
DNA-testing smartphone aims to tackle drugs resistance
A smartphone attachment that analyses DNA could help improve cancer and tuberculosis treatments.
From the BBC News-2017-1-18:14:6:1
IVF: First three-parent baby born to infertile couple
A technique designed to help parents affected by genetic disorders is used to tackle infertility.
From the BBC News-2017-1-18:8:5:1
Last man to walk on the Moon, Gene Cernan, has died
Documentary maker reflects on the life of astronaut Gene Cernan, following his death.
From the BBC News-2017-1-17:8:5:1
Gene Cernan, last man to walk on Moon, dies aged 82
US astronaut Gene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17, has died, his family and Nasa announce.
From the BBC News-2017-1-16:20:6:1
Q&A: Born to Be an Ear Wiggler?
Some people can control their auricular muscles to move the ear slightly but to a noticeable extent, an ability that seems to have a genetic basis.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-16:14:6:1
Oliver Smithies, Tinkerer Who Transformed Genetics and Won a Nobel, Dies at 91
Dr. Smithies discovered a powerful tool for identifying the roles of individual genes in health and disease.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-12:8:5:1
Trilobites: Finding a Home on the Tree of Life for a Tentacled Ice Cream Cone With a Lid
After analyzing more than 1,500 hyolith fossils, researchers concluded they are most closely related to present-day brachiopods, not mollusks.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-11:14:6:2
Mysterious fossils find place on the tree of life
Scientists say they have solved the mystery surrounding a sea creature that lived more than 500 million years ago.
From the BBC News-2017-1-11:14:6:1
Dr. Peter Nowell, Who Helped Transform Cancer Research, Dies at 88
Dr. Nowell and a colleague discovered the first genetic defect proven to cause cancer, which led to major advances by other scientists decades later.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-11:8:5:1
These Foods Aren’t Genetically Modified but They Are ‘Edited’
Gene editing, which does not add genes from other organisms into plants, is done with new tools that snip and tweak DNA at precise locations.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-9:20:6:2
Basics: A Family’s Shared Defect Sheds Light on the Human Genome
The genome is divided into thousands of ‘neighborhoods,’ or TADs, scientists are finding. Breaching the borders can have deadly consequences.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-9:20:6:1
Trilobites: Tomatillo Fossils, 52 Million Years Old, Are Discovered in Patagonia
The discovery suggests that the nightshade family of plants, which includes tomatoes, potatoes and peppers, has been around much longer than was previously thought.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-9:14:6:1
Urbanisation signal detected in evolution, study shows
Scientists discover a 'clear signal' of urbanisation in the evolution of organisms around the globe.
From the BBC News-2017-1-6:20:6:1
Fossil fruit from 52 million years ago revealed
Fossils of ancient plants shed light on how the family that includes crops such as potatoes evolved.
From the BBC News-2017-1-5:20:6:1
Synthego Raises $41 Million From Investors, Including a Top Biochemist
The genetic engineering start-up’s round includes the participation of Jennifer A. Doudna, who helped pioneer a technique that made altering DNA easier.
From the NYTimes News-2017-1-4:8:5:1
Trilobites: Cheetahs in Danger of Extinction, Researchers Say
A drop in their numbers has prompted an international team to call for changing the animal’s status from vulnerable to endangered.
From the NYTimes News-2016-12-30:14:6:1
Cheetahs heading for extinction, study says
Urgent action is needed to stop the cheetah - the world's fastest land animal - becoming extinct, scientists say.
From the BBC News-2016-12-27:8:5:1
Cheetahs heading towards extinction as population crashes
A new study estimates there are just 7,100 now left in the wild as they face growing conflict with humans.
From the BBC News-2016-12-26:20:6:1
Ash tree genome sequenced for first time
UK scientists have decoded the genome of the ash in the fight against a devastating plant disease.
From the BBC News-2016-12-26:14:6:1
Trilobites: Cold Tolerance Among Inuit May Come From Extinct Human Relatives
Gene variants that might give Inuit in Greenland more heat-generating fat matches up with DNA found in Denisovans, an extinct group of ancient humans.
From the NYTimes News-2016-12-23:8:5:2
Some young dinosaurs shed teeth, say experts
Some dinosaurs shed their teeth as they grew up, according to fossil evidence.
From the BBC News-2016-12-23:8:5:1