Potato tubers are the result of an ancient hybridisation event Jackie Bale/Getty Images The humble potato, it turns out, is the product of a tryst between an ancient tomato plant and a lesser-known South American lineage named Etuberosum. Etuberosum plants are often described as looking like a potato plant, except for one crucial difference –…
The Trump administration has announced a plan to scrap a landmark finding that greenhouse gases are harmful to the environment, severely curbing the federal government’s ability to combat climate change. Known as the “Endangerment Finding”, the 2009 order from then-President Barack Obama allowed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create rules to limit pollution…
Georgina Rannard Science correspondent G Caspari and M Vavulin Scans of the ice mummy’s skin revealed details of animals and birds on her arms and hands High-resolution imaging of tattoos found on a 2,500 year old Siberian “ice mummy” have revealed decorations that a modern tattooist would find challenging to produce, according to researchers. The…
The 8.8 magnitude quake sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the US west coast. Source link
Vincent Lynch (left) and Nic Rawlence have been targeted by negative articles Berlin Communications/Ken Miller Academics who have questioned the validity of efforts to “de-extinct” animals like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf have complained of an apparent campaign to discredit them. They believe the attacks are intended to deter criticism of de-extinction projects,…
A University of Florida research team has developed a more accurate way to count wildlife using drones — an innovation that helped confirm the world’s largest known nesting site for a threatened turtle species. By combining aerial imagery with statistical modeling, the researchers documented more than 41,000 Giant South American River Turtles gathered along the…
Respiratory infections such as COVID-19 have been responsible for numerous pandemics and have placed a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Such viruses can cause significant damage to our lungs, especially to the proximal region, or airway, and distal region, also known as the alveoli. The responses of different lung regions to such infections are varying…
The cerebral cortex processes sensory information via a complex network of neural connections. How are these signals modulated to refine perception? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a mechanism by which certain thalamic projections target neurons and modify their excitability. This work, published in Nature Communications, reveals a previously unknown form…
A new international study confirmed a significant post-pandemic rise in disorders of gut-brain interaction, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, according to the paper published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Building on prior research, investigators used Rome Foundation diagnostic tools to analyze nationally representative samples from both 2017 and 2023 — offering the…
Scientists at the University of California, Davis, used artificial intelligence to help plants recognize a wider range of bacterial threats — which may lead to new ways to protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases. The study was published in Nature Plants. Plants, like animals, have immune systems. Part of their defense toolkit…
