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Chimpanzee mother seen applying an insect to a wound on her son
Researchers have observed chimpanzees in Gabon, West Africa applying insects to their wounds and the wounds of others. Scientists describe this wound-tending behavior and argue that it is evidence that chimpanzees have the capacity for prosocial behaviors that have been linked with empathy in humans. In November 2019, Alessandra Mascaro, a volunteer at the Ozouga…
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Earlier flood forecasting could help avoid disaster in Japan
Researchers have revealed that a newly developed forecasting system can accurately predict flood locations 32 hours in advance. Extreme rainfall events are occurring increasingly frequently; such accurate and timely flood warnings will help to minimize their impact by providing time for measures to protect people and property. In a study published this month in Scientific…
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Critical protein that could unlock West Nile/Zika virus treatments identified
Scientists have identified a protein that is critical in controlling replication of West Nile and Zika viruses — and could be important for developing therapies to prevent and treat those viruses. The researchers found Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) is a sensor that plays a significant role in triggering a robust immune response when it…
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Switching roles: Key proteins evolved from activators to maintainers in plants
Researchers have found that the ancestral role of the proteins KNOX and BELL is activation of zygote development in a model basal land plant species, functioning in much the same way as in a unicellular green alga. This role shifted toward the maintenance of tissue development during land plant evolution. This study will be of…
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Jewel beetles’ sparkle helps them hide in plain sight
Bright colors are often considered an evolutionary tradeoff in the animal kingdom. Yes, a male peacock’s colorful feathers may help it attract a mate, but they also make it more likely to be seen by a predator. Jewel beetles and their iridescent wing cases may be an exception to the rule, researchers report. They found…
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Using snakes to monitor Fukushima radiation
Ten years after one of the largest nuclear accidents in history spewed radioactive contamination over the landscape in Fukushima, Japan, a new study has shown that radioactive contamination in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone can be measured through its resident snakes. The team’s findings, published in the recent journal of Ichthyology & Herpetology, report that rat…
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Study identifies new way to attack herpesviruses
A new study has opened the door to a new approach to attacking herpesviruses. The study demonstrated that targeting 2 metal ion-dependent enzymes of human herpesviruses with 2 compounds, AK-157 and AK-166, can inhibit the replication of the virus. The finding provides new opportunities to developing agents against herpesviruses. «A lot of people know the…
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Microscopic inner ear structures reveal why major groups of bats echolocate differently
A new article compares the inner ear structures of the two main groups of bats. By examining the microscopic inner ears of bats from 19 of the 21 known bat families, the researchers were able to show that the presence of extra neurons and specialized ear structures align with a split in bat evolution revealed…
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Some meat eaters disgusted by meat
Some meat eaters feel disgusted by meat, according to a new study. University of Exeter scientists showed food pictures to more than 700 people, including omnivores (who eat meat and other foods), flexitarians (who try to eat less meat) and vegetarians. About 7% of meat eaters (15% of flexitarians and 3% of omnivores) had a…
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Mineral dating reveals new clues about important tectonic process
Ancient rocks on the coast of Oman that were once driven deep down toward Earth’s mantle may reveal new insights into subduction, an important tectonic process that fuels volcanoes and creates continents, according to a new study. In a broad sense this work gives us a better understanding of why some subduction zones fail while…