Origin of life twist: New hypothesis on how first sugars formed
Scripps Research and Georgia Institute of Technology reveal branched sugars, not linear ribose, formed prebiotic Earth.
New ancestral component found in DNA of Japanese people
Researchers from the RIKEN Center reveal a third Northeast Asian ancestry component challenging established dual-structure model.
Billion-year-old meteor impact in Scotland sparks questions about life on land timeline
Curtin University researchers discovered the impact occurred 200 million years later than previously believed, altering evolutionary timelines.
Tastier Apples: Genetic insights unlock nature’s flavour code
Penn State University researchers uncover 60 million years of evolutionary genetic history, aiding future apple breeding advancements.
New study challenges the story of humanity’s shift from prehistoric hunting to farming
A new investigation at the University of Bath suggests interactions between hunter-gathers and early farmers drove farming adoption rather than environmental factors.
Getting hit by lightning is good for some tropical trees
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies reveal lightning benefits some trees by killing off parasitic vines and opening up the canopy.
An earful of gill: Stem cell study points to the evolutionary origin of the mammalian outer ear
Scientists at the University of Southern California reveal fish-like genetic enhancers guiding mammalian ear cartilage formation, tracing origins to ancient gills.
Every rose has its thorns…or does it?
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States have discovered a gene family responsible for the evolution of prickles in various plants.
Birdsong and human voice built from same genetic blueprint
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, USA, have uncovered new insights into bird vocal organs, revealing their evolutionary links to reptile and mammal vocal structures.
Did a magnetic field collapse trigger the emergence of animals?
Researchers at the University of Rochester in the USA have linked Earth’s unusually weak magnetic field during the Ediacaran Period to the emergence of complex life.