A University of Florida study reveals that birds are immune to the spicy chemical in chili peppers, making them essential for seed dispersal. This allows the seeds to germinate and grow in optimal conditions, benefiting the pepper plant's survival.
Researchers have found that both smells and pheromones can arouse instinctive behaviors in mammals, including humans. This is achieved through the detection of odorants by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the olfactory epithelium (OE), with pheromone signals directly influencing mid-brain areas controlling behavior and hormonal responses.
Researchers have successfully used frozen ovarian tissue to induce live births in large mammals, including lambs. The study offers a promising solution for women who become infertile due to cancer treatments, providing an alternative to traditional fertility preservation methods.
Researchers at Duke University used nuclear genes to analyze genetic material from 15 mammal species, providing statistically unambiguous results in favor of the Theria hypothesis. This contradicts the Marsupionta hypothesis supported by mitochondrial DNA method, which links disparate animals like kangaroos and whales.
A new web-based taxonomic key enables researchers to identify mammals by answering a series of questions with accompanying images. The key, developed in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam, uses over 170 identified species as a starting point.
The Office of Naval Research has funded a study to develop new plasmid DNA vaccines for marine mammals, aiming to prevent epidemic disease. The studies may soon allow for better protection against infection using vaccination of individual animals within a population.
A team of biologists led by Mark Springer at the University of California, Riverside and including Ronald DeBry of the University of Cincinnati report in Nature that an intensive analysis of DNA sequences provides strong support for a grouping dubbed Afrotheria.
Research on fossil Teleoceras teeth suggests a semi-aquatic lifestyle for the ancient rhinoceros, mirroring that of modern hippos. The study's findings indicate low variability in oxygen isotope compositions among aquatic mammals, contrasting with higher variability in land animals.
University of Iowa researchers have identified a protein, brain sodium channel 1 (BNC1), that plays a role in the perception of light touch in mice. The discovery provides an important first step towards understanding the molecular basis for this process.
The USGS is studying the effects of climate change, fire, and carbon dioxide on ecosystems in America's grasslands, deserts, and mountains. Researchers have found that high mortality rates among grassland birds in Colorado may be caused by small mammals invading nests.
Researchers from Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have made a groundbreaking discovery that existing brain cells can replenish dead counterparts, potentially treating degenerative brain diseases. The study found that nerve cells in the cerebral cortex can be induced to heal themselves through a process called neuronal rep...
Researchers have used new methods to track the evolution of human chromosomes over a 130 million-year period, finding that one chromosome is shared only with chimpanzees. By examining analogous chromosomes in other mammals, scientists can reconstruct how human chromosomes evolved from ancient origins.
A genetic mutation in the tau gene has been identified as the cause of a 20-hour day in hamsters. The discovery reveals that the enzyme CK1ε plays a crucial role in regulating the circadian rhythm, and offers new opportunities for developing drugs to control the biological clock in humans.
A Northwestern University research team has discovered the first enzyme to play a role in the mammalian circadian clock, contributing significantly to understanding of circadian rhythm-related problems. The identified casein kinase I epsilon (CKIe) enzyme interacts with PERIOD proteins, affecting the timing of the circadian cycle.
Researchers found that marine mammals take advantage of buoyancy changes with depth, allowing them to glide rather than swim during deep dives. This strategy enables animals to extend their dives and conserve energy.
Researchers found that fruit flies exhibit behavioral and molecular changes similar to those observed in mammals, suggesting they may be capable of sleeping. The study provides new insights into the functions of sleep and could lead to the development of new treatments for human sleep disorders.
The University of Toronto has discovered a new species of giant ground sloth, challenging the long-held assumption that mammals from South America were inferior to those in North America. The study suggests that these groups thrived for nearly two million years after migration across the Panamanian land bridge.
A study published in the Journal of Biogeography analyzed over 184,000 mammal bones and teeth from Homestead Cave in Utah, revealing how climate change affected small mammal populations. The findings suggest that arid-loving kangaroo rats thrived during warmer conditions, while others became extinct or disappeared.
Researchers discovered that mouse embryos have an organizational structure in the inner cell mass, predicting spatial patterning later on. This finding provides a new understanding of how mammals develop their bodies and may lead to advances in regulating embryonic stem cell differentiation.
The discovery provides a detailed picture of life during the earliest days of dinosaurs and mammals. The newly found fossils are from the Middle to Late Triassic period, around 230 million years ago, and include two new dinosaurs that appear to be older than previously recorded species.
University of Hawaii scientists have developed a new method for producing transgenic mammals by injecting DNA into eggs using mouse sperm. The technique, called Honolulu transgenesis, has shown success in producing green mice with a jellyfish 'green gene'.
Researchers discovered that mammalian support cells can proliferate when an enzyme inhibitor is absent, paving the way for potential hair-cell regeneration. This breakthrough offers hope for restoring hearing in humans and other mammals who suffer from noise-induced hearing loss.
A new species of fossil animal has been discovered in South Africa, revealing the country as the birthplace of all mammals. The Anomocephalus africanus discovery reinforces the idea that distant ancestors of mammals originated from this region.
Scientists discover that the sense of smell in mammals uses a combinatorial code to recognize and process odors, allowing for the detection of thousands of scents with relatively few odor receptors. The study reveals that different combinations of receptors are used to describe various smells.
A mathematical model resolves a scientific debate on the origins of modern placental mammals, suggesting that a 65-million-year gap in the fossil record is unlikely due to incomplete preservation. The study finds that the quality of the mammalian fossil record is more consistent with genetic data than previously thought.
A team of researchers has devised a way to track Antarctic Weddell seals as they hunt using a small video system and data logger attached to their backs. The equipment enables the researchers to compute the three-dimensional path of individual dives, allowing for major advancements in understanding underwater behavior.
Dr. Craig Stevens, a leading pain researcher, has developed an alternative model using northern grass frogs to investigate the effects of morphine and other opioid drugs on humans. His research shows significant similarities between amphibians and mammals in terms of pain response.
A new fossil discovery provides unprecedented insights into dinosaur biology, metabolism, and lifestyle. The analysis reveals that theropod dinosaurs were cold-blooded but had the potential for high levels of oxygen exchange, similar to birds and mammals.
Recent discoveries in circadian rhythms research have identified a set of probably a dozen or so proteins that regulate the biological clock in flies and mammals. These proteins share a common molecular motif called the PAS domain, which instructs them to attach to other proteins and help set the clock's time.
Scientists uncover new fossils of Deltatheridium, an early relative of marsupials, providing unprecedented insight into the evolutionary split between marsupials and placental mammals. The discovery sheds light on the origins of modern marsupials in Asia.
Researchers have identified a previously unknown light-sensitive pigment in the eye, skin, and brain that regulates mammals' internal clocks. This discovery has significant implications for treating depression and reducing accidents during night work shifts, as it allows for better synchronization with daily cycles.
Researchers found that young rats learned to distinguish lactating females from others through repeated trials, but did not yet recognize their mother. This study sheds light on the complex process of mammalian recognition and attachment.
Research at The Jackson Laboratory reveals the Lunatic fringe gene's essential role in regulating somite formation during embryonic development. Notch signaling pathway disruption leads to segmental body plan implementation challenges in mammals and other organisms.
Researchers at the University of Hawaii report breaking ground in mammalian cloning by creating reproducible clones from adult cells, with implications for pharmaceuticals and disease research. The 'Honolulu technique' has yielded three generations of identical cloned mice, opening doors to new avenues in genetic engineering.
Researchers have discovered a new light-sensitive pigment called cryptochrome, which controls the circadian rhythm in mammals, regulating bodily functions such as body temperature and blood pressure. The discovery may lead to better treatment for depression and reduce accidents during late-night shifts.
A massive gene study suggests that mammals first evolved around 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous era, much earlier than previously estimated. The research used genetic data from over 10,000 species to infer origin dates, contradicting fossil-based estimates that linked mammal evolution to mass extinctions.
Researchers successfully incorporated and reprogrammed genes from adult cells of various animal species into bovine eggs. The study's findings suggest a conserved molecular mechanism in mammals for embryonic reprogramming, enabling the use of cow eggs as a 'universal recipient' for genetic material from other species.
A team of researchers, funded by the US National Science Foundation, discovered a group of fossil mammals, gondwanatheres, in Madagascar and India. These ancient creatures provide evidence for the movement of landmasses during the Late Cretaceous period.
MSH6 mutations have been found in human families with hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer, confirming the gene's role in cancer predisposition. Knockout mice studies show that MSH6 is crucial for preventing tumor development, highlighting a new path for research in cancer diagnosis and development.
A study by Prof. Michal Schwartz explains why mammals can't regenerate damaged central nervous system tissue, offering hope for treatment development. Researchers found that macrophages play a crucial role in wound-healing, and 'educating' them may help overcome this obstacle.