Research on great ape communication reveals cooperative turn-taking sequences in both bonobos and chimpanzees, differing in their styles of gaze-based and signal-pause response based interactions. These findings suggest that cooperative communication may have arisen to coordinate collaborative activities more efficiently.
Researchers at Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems have discovered a new reversible adhesive using gallium that can be controlled by temperature changes. The adhesive has potential applications in various fields such as biological samples handling and industrial pick-and-place processes.
Researchers found that host birds only tolerate brood parasite eggs when threatened with retaliation by the parasitic birds. This 'mafia hypothesis' explains why some hosts accept parasitic eggs despite the risk of losing their own young.
Researchers have developed a soft actuator that allows robots to move freely without harming humans. The actuator uses hyperelastic membranes and electric fields to control movement, enabling robots to give way in case of doubt, making them suitable for applications where human safety is a concern.
A recent study reveals that bacteria can differ significantly in their response to a lack of nutrients, allowing the group to continue growing even when some cells suffer. This phenomenon promotes flexibility and diversity within bacterial populations.
Researchers discovered that a few changes in the genome are sufficient to turn a fungal plant pathogen into a potentially beneficial organism. The beneficial fungus has gained new genes and lost others, leading to reduced effector proteins needed to suppress the plant's immune system.
Researchers identified two existing compounds effective against the Chikungunya virus in an animal model, bringing a potential treatment within reach. The findings also suggest that these compounds may be useful for broadly acting antivirals against emerging viruses.
Scientists have created a synthetic molecule that mimics the sugar coating on C. difficile bacteria, triggering an immune response and protecting against infection. The potential vaccine could be cost-effective and used to boost the immune system in patients.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Johannes Gutenberg University found that every movie leaves a characteristic pattern in the air, with increases in carbon dioxide and isoprene levels indicating suspense or humor. The study uses mass spectrometry to analyze exhaled air and differentiate between scenes in movies.
The Middle East and North Africa may become uninhabitable due to climate change, with temperatures expected to rise by over two degrees Celsius by mid-century. Heat waves could occur ten times more often, with prolonged periods of extreme heat becoming the norm.
Scientists have discovered REM and slow-wave sleep in bearded dragons, a finding that suggests brain sleep dates back at least to the evolution of amniotes. The study's authors believe that this common origin is more plausible than convergent evolution, given the early branching out of reptiles.
Scientists discovered that Cpf1, a CRISPR-associated enzyme, can cut both RNA and DNA. This dual activity enables efficient targeting of multiple sites in parallel, or multiplexing, for sequence-specific genome engineering.
Research suggests that children of older mothers are healthier, taller, and more educated than those born to younger mothers. Despite the risks associated with advanced maternal age, the benefits of delaying childbearing may outweigh these risks due to improvements in public health and social conditions over time.
Researchers propose a new theory that pain is a complex interaction of multiple elements, including sensory processes and emotional responses. A study found that the brain processes both general and specific components of pain in parallel, allowing for efficient processing of unpleasant experiences.
Researchers discovered that thale cress plant tolerates fungus when it needs help obtaining phosphate, rejecting it otherwise. The plant controls interaction through its immune system linked to a sensor for phosphate availability.
Fossils from the Sima de los Huesos site in Northern Spain have provided genetic evidence that they belonged to early Neandertals. The analysis of nuclear DNA from two specimens has shown a close relationship with Neandertals, contradicting previous findings based on mitochondrial DNA.
Researchers found that bacteria in roundworms are loyal to their hosts, while those in segmented worms prefer local locations, with external tenants showing more long-term loyalty than internal cohabitants.
In high-density populations, slow-exploring great tits have a higher chance of survival compared to fast-exploring individuals. However, the birds are unable to adapt their exploratory behavior to changing density, which may explain why selection favors a mix of personality types.
A new learning procedure developed by Robert Gütig enables neural networks to filter out irrelevant sensory impressions and link them to events occurring after a delay. This breakthrough has significant implications for technological applications like automatic speech recognition.
In a climate game experiment, researchers found that 40% of participants chose representatives with extortionate strategies. However, these strategies ultimately led to successful outcomes due to the benefit for all parties involved. The results suggest that such strategies could be beneficial in avoiding dangerous climate change.
Researchers found that the fruit fly's visual system incorporates expectations of typical environment features into its calculations. The unequal distribution of bright and dark regions in nature is reflected in asymmetric processing by the fly brain, enabling efficient course correction in virtual environments.
Researchers discovered chimpanzees in West Africa throwing stones at trees, resulting in accumulations of rocks at these sites. The behavior appears to have cultural elements and has been observed in adult males and females, with no apparent link to foraging or resource availability.
Protein aggregates are toxic and contribute to nerve cell death in diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington's. The study reveals missing stop signals lead to long lysine chains blocking ribosomes, allowing defective proteins to accumulate and form toxic aggregates.
Researchers found that hermaphrodite nematodes, which self-fertilize, have significantly shorter lifespans than their female relatives. The study suggests that early reproduction and potential damage from mating may contribute to the decreased lifespan in hermaphrodites.
Researchers create microrobots that mimic the movement of ciliates, beating filaments propelled by green light. The robots exhibit wave-like movements and can potentially be used for medical applications, such as detecting and curing diseases.
A new study led by Alistair Evans of Monash University found that molars follow the inhibitory cascade rule, simplifying human tooth evolution. The team can now predict the size of missing fossil teeth using this rule.
A new study highlights the potential consequences of reintroducing genetically distinct subspecies into wild populations, particularly in endangered species. Researchers found that hybridization between non-native and local orangutan subspecies can lead to health problems and reduced reproductive success in offspring.
Researchers detect cryptochrome 1 in photoreceptors of dog-like carnivores and primates, hinting at a magnetic sense linked to the visual system. The molecule's presence suggests that these animals may use it to perceive the Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers found genetic evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, occurring around 100,000 years ago. This event likely occurred when some modern humans left Africa early and mixed with Neanderthals.
Researchers from Max Planck Institute achieve light-induced lossless electricity transmission in fullerenes, contributing to the search for practical superconducting materials. The discovery could lead to a better understanding of high-temperature superconductivity and the development of artificial superconductors.
Scientists have identified four classes of nerve cell involved in calculating directionally selective signals in fruit flies, unlike previously proposed models. These cells, including T5 cells, perceive the direction of motion and receive input from four upstream cells.
A study found that individual risk-taking propensity is subject to change throughout life, especially in domains of work and recreation. Women are less prone to take risks than men across the lifespan, while openness to experience and extraversion are associated with increased risk-taking propensity.
Researchers demonstrate that human brain uses different frequency channels depending on the direction of information transport, similar to macaque monkeys. The findings might help understand the cause of psychiatric illnesses where top-down and bottom-up flows get mixed up.
A study reveals chimpanzees struggle to find ripe fruit, the most energy-rich food source, in tropical rain forests. They must use cognitive strategies to outcompete other animals and optimize their search for high-energy foods.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics found a novel epigenetic switch regulating genes in mice, leading to two distinct phenotypes. This discovery fundamentally alters our understanding of how epigenetics influences gene outcomes and has implications for obesity and other diseases.
Researchers use virtual reality to investigate how people adapt their speech in conversation, finding that language behavior is identical to dialogue with a human partner.
Turn-taking in human communication appears to have origins in primate gestural interactions, predating the development of language. This double-tasking of comprehension and production may motivate compact clause structures in all languages.
Researchers have developed fallopian tube organoids to study female genital diseases such as infertility, inflammatory disease, and ovarian cancer. These hollow spheres can culture cells from clinical fallopian tube samples, offering a new avenue for investigating disease mechanisms and developing therapies.
Scientists cultivate over half of the bacterial species found on and in the leaves and roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, creating a representative collection for microbiota reconstruction. The developed toolkit enables controlled perturbation of microbiota under controlled environmental conditions.
Researchers have found nano-wire connections between thermophilic AOM consortia, enabling energy transfer between archaea and sulphate reducers. These direct power wires facilitate the growth of sulphate reducers, providing insight into the anaerobic oxidation of methane.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology found that birds can save energy and time by using optimal wind conditions. They calculated global aerial flyways that allow efficient traveling, suggesting a new strategy for migratory birds to reduce travel time and increase reproductive output.
African straw-colored fruit bats, ecosystem service providers, cover greater distances than any other bat species during the dry season. They disperse seeds and pollen across large areas, playing a crucial role in maintaining forest ecosystems.
A recent study by Mark Dingemanse and colleagues reveals that language is less arbitrary than previously thought. The researchers found that iconicity, where word forms suggest meaning, and systematicity, a statistical relationship between sounds and grammatical usage, complement arbitrariness in vocabulary structure.
Life expectancy has increased everywhere in Germany, with the biggest gains seen in Eastern regions. Regional economic development is becoming a key factor in determining life expectancy, with areas like Baden-Württemberg and Saxony consistently having higher life expectancies.
A study by the Max Planck Institute found that parents experiencing a drop in happiness after the birth of their first child are less likely to have a second child. The effect is strongest for well-educated and older parents. In fact, only 58 out of 100 couples who reported a significant decline in happiness had a second child within t...
Scientists found that additional genes can compensate for knocked-out genes and mitigate consequences. In a study on zebrafish, researchers identified emilin 3B as a rescuing gene for the egfl7 gene, which regulates blood vessel growth.
The kiwi genome sequencing reveals several genes involved in colour vision are inactivated, while the diversity of odorant receptors is higher than in other birds, indicating a reliance on their sense of smell for foraging. Genetic changes occurred about 35 million years ago, reflecting the kiwi's adaptation to its nocturnal lifestyle.
Researchers discovered that screams possess special acoustic properties, including roughness, which is a specific type of vocal expression used in stressful situations. Screams are modulated at a faster rate than normal speech, making them more attention-grabbing.
A 15-million-year-old Old World monkey's tiny but complex brain supports the idea that brain complexity can evolve before brain size. The olfactory bulb was three times larger in Victoriapithecus than in present-day monkeys, suggesting a better sense of smell.
Researchers have localized the origin of high-energy gamma radiation in a jet emanating from a distant supermassive black hole. The discovery was made possible by a micro-gravitational lens effect that selectively amplifies light from different regions close to the event horizon.