Study offers tips on taming the boogie monster
Many parents of preschoolers struggle with their children's fears of real and imaginary creatures. A new study offers some ideas on how they can better manage their children's worries. view more (2009-11-13)
New American Chemical Society podcast: Tiny sea creature and a new medical adhesive
Scientists questing after a long-sought new medical adhesive describe copying the natural glue secreted by a tiny sea creature called the sandcastle worm in the latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning podcast series, "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions." view more (2009-10-28)
Geologist analyzes earliest shell-covered fossil animals
The fossil remains of some of the first animals with shells, ocean-dwelling creatures that measure a few centimeters in length and date to about 520 million years ago, provide a window on evolution at this time, according to scientists. Their research indicates that these animals were larger than previously thought. view more (2009-10-22)
Early hominid first walked on two legs in the woods
Among the many surprises associated with the discovery of the oldest known, nearly complete skeleton of a hominid is the finding that this species took its first steps toward bipedalism not on the open, grassy savanna, as generations of scientists - going back to Charles Darwin - hypothesized, but in a wooded landscape. view more (2009-10-09)
Inside the first bird, surprising signs of a dinosaur
The raptor-like Archaeopteryx has long been viewed as the archetypal first bird, but new research reveals that it was actually a lot less "bird-like" than scientists had believed. view more (2009-10-09)
Ardi displaces Lucy as oldest hominid skeleton
Nearly 17 years after plucking the fossilized tooth of a new human ancestor from a pebbly desert in Ethiopia, an international team of scientists today announced their reconstruction of a partial skeleton of the hominid, Ardipithecus ramidus, which they say revolutionizes our understanding of the earliest phase of human evolution. view more (2009-10-02)
Caltech and IBM scientists use self-assembled DNA scaffolding to build tiny circuit boards
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and IBM's Almaden Research Center have developed a new technique to orient and position self-assembled DNA shapes and patterns-or "DNA origami"-on surfaces that are compatible with today's semiconductor manufacturing equipment. view more (2009-08-18)
Scary ancient spiders revealed in 3-D models, thanks to new imaging technique
Early relatives of spiders that lived around 300 million years ago are revealed in new three-dimensional models, in research published today in the journal Biology Letters. view more (2009-08-05)
Mapping the crocodile genome
The first ever genetic linkage map for a non-avian member of the Class Reptilia has been developed. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics have constructed a first-generation genetic linkage map for the saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus. view more (2009-07-29)
Study finds role for parasites in evolution of sex
What's so great about sex? From an evolutionary perspective, the answer is not as obvious as one might think. view more (2009-07-07)
Multivariate coupling mechanism of superhydrophobicity on NOCTUIDAE moth wing surface
Research carried out by Key Laboratory for Terrain Machine Bionics Engineering of Ministry of Education, Jilin University in Changchun, China, has shown that the co-coupling effect of scale biomaterial, micron-class shape and nanometer-class structure of vertical gibbosities of scale can induce surface hydrophobicity and self-cleaning function of... view more... (2009-04-02)
University of Kansas research finds human emotions hold sway over physical health worldwide
A researcher from the University of Kansas has spearheaded a new investigation into the link between emotions and health. The research proves that positive emotions are critical for upkeep of physical health for people worldwide, above all for those who are deeply impoverished. view more (2009-03-04)
Origin of claws seen in 390-million-year-old fossil
A missing link in the evolution of the front claw of living scorpions and horseshoe crabs was identified with the discovery of a 390 million-year-old fossil by researchers at Yale and the University of Bonn, Germany. view more (2009-02-06)
Four, three, two, one . . . pterosaurs have lift off
Pterosaurs have long suffered an identity crisis. Pop culture heedlessly -- and wrongly -- lumps these extinct flying lizards in with dinosaurs. Even paleontologists assumed that because the creatures flew, they were birdlike in many ways, such as using only two legs to take flight. view more (2009-01-07)
Earth's original ancestor was LUCA, not Adam nor Eve
Here's another argument against intelligent design. An evolutionary geneticist from the Université de Montréal, together with researchers from the French cities of Lyon and Montpellier, have published a ground-breaking study that characterizes the common ancestor of all life on earth, LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor). view more (2008-12-18)
Bonefish census reveals population holding steady
If you're looking for bonefish from Miami down to the Marquesas Islands, you have about 321,000 to choose from, and that is down slightly from the average of previous censuses-mostly due to increased participation among those who are counting, researchers speculate. view more (2008-12-05)
Solar-Powered Sea Slugs Live Like Plants
The lowly sea slug, "Elysia chlorotica," may not seem like the most exciting of creatures, but don't be fooled: it behaves like a plant and is solar-powered, says a Texas A&M University biologist who has been studying these tiny creatures for the past decade and, along with collaborators from several universities, has identified a... view more... (2008-11-26)
Zoologists: Sea snakes seek out freshwater to slake thirst
Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. So concludes a University of Florida zoologist in a paper appearing this month in the online edition of the November/December issue of the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. view more (2008-11-07)
America's smallest dinosaur uncovered
An unusual breed of dinosaur that was the size of a chicken, ran on two legs and scoured the ancient forest floor for termites is the smallest dinosaur species found in North America, according to a University of Calgary researcher who analyzed bones found during the excavation of an ancient bone bed near Red Deer, Alberta. view more (2008-09-24)
Purifying parasites with light
Researchers have developed a clever method to purify parasitic organisms from their host cells, which will allow for more detailed proteomic studies and a deeper insight into the biology of organisms that cause millions of cases of disease each year. view more (2008-09-15)
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