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New Species of Human Ancestor Found in Ethiopia

New Species of Human Ancestor Found in Ethiopia
More than 3 million years ago, when “Lucy” was roaming the savannah of present-day Ethiopia, she may have encountered other two-legged apes not unlike her own species, Australopithecus afarensis—yet still just a wee bit strange. Represented by jawbones from three individuals, a newly described species named Australopithecus deyrimeda adds to the scatter of evidence that…
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Cuban science comes in from the cold

Cuban science comes in from the cold
Ernesto Altshuler has a principle for doing science in one of the world's more challenging settings, Cuba. Faced with scant resources and a persistent brain drain, the University of Havana physicist says he became a “guerrilla scientist.” That didn't mean toting a Kalashnikov. “My strategy to survive as an experimental physicist was to violate the…
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Gene turns female mosquitoes into males

Gene turns female mosquitoes into males
The female of the species is more deadly than the male, the famed author Rudyard Kipling wrote, and that’s certainly true for the mosquito Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito. Only females feast on human blood, transmitting not only yellow fever but also dengue and several other diseases. But what if you…
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Scientists Created a Dino-Skulled Chicken to Explore Evolution

Scientists Created a Dino-Skulled Chicken to Explore Evolution
It’s not quite a dinosaur, but maybe it could play one on T.V. A research team led by scientists from Yale and Harvard have tweaked the activity of proteins in a chicken embryo to create a chicken with a reptile-like face. As dinosaurs slowly transitioned into their avian descendants, their snouts gradually morphed into beaks.…
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Sea rise threatens Florida coast, but no statewide plan

Sea rise threatens Florida coast, but no statewide plan
America's oldest city is slowly drowning. St. Augustine's centuries-old Spanish fortress and other national landmarks sit feet from the encroaching Atlantic, whose waters already flood the city's narrow, brick-paved streets about 10 times a year — a problem worsening as sea levels rise. The city has long relied on tourism, but visitors to the fortress…
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Scientists resolve debate over how many bacteria fight off invaders

Scientists resolve debate over how many bacteria fight off invaders
Every inch of our body, inside and out, is oozing with bacteria. In fact, the human body carries 10 times the number of bacterial cells as human cells. Many are our friends, helping us digest food and fight off infections, for instance. But much about these abundant organisms, upon which our life depends, remains mysterious.…
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Genetic changes to basic developmental processes evolve more frequently than thought

Genetic changes to basic developmental processes evolve more frequently than thought
Newly evolved genes can rapidly assume control over fundamental functions during early embryonic development, report scientists from the University of Chicago. They identified a gene, found only in one specific group of midge flies, which determines the patterning of the head and tail in developing embryos. This newly discovered gene has the same developmental role…
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Relaxed DNA may contribute to aging

Relaxed DNA may contribute to aging
People with Werner syndrome—a rare disease with symptoms that mimic premature aging—usually go gray in their 20s, develop cataracts and osteoporosis in their 30s, and die before 60. Now, researchers have for the first time created a key class of versatile stem cells that carry the genetic defect that causes the condition. Their analysis suggests…
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Cancer Death Rate Declines Worldwide

Cancer Death Rate Declines Worldwide
The rate of deaths from cancer appears to be declining worldwide, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed information from death certificates in 60 countries between 2000 and 2010. The total number of cancer deathsincreased over this time period, due to the growing world population, and the fact that people are living longer. But the rate…
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