Thursday, 23 May, 2013

An alluring flash pattern is only the first step in firefly reproduction. Females actually pay more attention to the “nuptial gift” that carries sperm. A new look at these popular creatures shows that the battle of the sexes is more subtle and complex than we thought.

People with a genetic case of dwarfism in Ecuador don’t get cancer or diabetes, and a new study links that benefit to the genetic changes we see when calories are severely restricted. Could blocking growth hormone in adulthood lead to serious health benefits?

Most fireflies flash on their own schedule, but some do it all at once. In most animals, the guys try to stand out from the crowd – but these flies try to make a crowd! What’s the evolutionary advantage? What can we learn about bug-brains from the “all-at-once” display of synchronous fireflies?

Do new species arise because so many niches are available in a new habitat? Or do they arise because newcomers have multiple talents for survival? A new study points to traits that enable success in the new location.

The theory of evolution is 150 years old, but forever young. We examine proofs for evolution, and four cool studies showing just how correct Charles Darwin was. Want to talk about silent crickets?

Minute sand dollar larvae, tasty morsels in a sea of famished fish, have a clever way to help ensure their genes are passed to the next generation.

Scientists learn to make human embryonic stem cells without using eggs, embryos, or legal hassles. Adding four genes to skin cells did the trick.

A technology that revolutionized medicine and genetics gets the big Nobelian Nod. Cancer. Heart disease. Obesity. Research into virtually every major disease has gotten a boost from the Knockout Nobel!

Fast genomic analysis could open the door to breakthroughs in health, ecology and genetics. How do these machines work, and what have they taught about obesity, microbial diversity, and drug treatment?

Football star convicted for bloody dog-fighting operation. What made the wolf turn into 400+ breeds of dog? How have farmers and animal breeders changed cattle and chickens? Why bother saving an old breed of horse?

Conventional wisdom says species form faster in the biodiverse tropics. But a new study shows fast speciation and extinction at the poles. Why didn’t we think up this study?

After boy and girl mosquitoes meet, they synchronize their wingbeats. What does this tell us about how insects use sound?

Evolution favors tiny sperm, which boost a guys chance of fertilizing an egg. So why do some fruit flies make giant sperm?

Was wheat tamed in 200 years or less? New information on the origin of agriculture in the Middle East shows the process may have taken millennia…

During Hurricane Charley, ocean fish sing their mating songs louder and longer.