Researchers discover that tropical circulation changes in the Pacific Ocean, similar to El Niño, triggered a large expansion of polar ice sheets and altered Earth's climate. Local climatic changes in the tropics can produce global changes, highlighting the tropics' active role in controlling the Earth's climate.
Researchers found that riboorganisms, which use RNA for genetic information and metabolic reactions, can have a much bigger genome than previously believed. This discovery greatly relaxes the conditions necessary for the first living organisms to develop, allowing them to contain more than 100 genes.
A new study reveals that earthquake recurrence times exhibit self-similarity, with smaller clusters of earthquakes grouped together within larger clusters. This critical phenomenon may improve risk estimation by showing a clear statistical dependence between earthquakes.
An international team has launched the first detailed physical map of Drosophila buzzatii chromosomes, a species widely used in studies of genome evolution and ecological adaptation. The map was constructed using genomic library and physical mapping techniques, providing insights into the species' evolutionary history.
The Hox gene complex has been rearranged differently in several Drosophila species, but their expression and function are conserved. The research suggests that Hox gene clustering is a result of evolutionary history rather than functional necessity.
Researchers found that certain dietary chemical compounds, such as PCBs, increase the risk of colon cancer by causing genetic alterations in genes like K-Ras and p53. The study suggests that diet plays a significant role in colorectal cancer development, with fat, red meat, and excessive calorie consumption being major risk factors.
A research team has confirmed that ocean circulation in the southern hemisphere adapts to sudden changes in the north, enabling more accurate forecasts of ocean reactions to climate change. The study reveals a mechanism linking the two hemispheres, with waters in the southern hemisphere playing an active role in sudden climate changes.
Researchers Jordi Faraudo and Fernando Bresme discover hydration force's origins in water interactions with electrostatically charged molecules. Understanding this force is crucial for biomedical research and the development of new drugs and biochemical processes.
Researchers found a 7ºC temperature difference causing more evaporation and snowfall, leading to ice accumulation. This discovery helps improve climate models, shedding light on the ocean's role in climate change.
A new genetic mechanism has been identified linking diet to breast cancer, with excess omega-6 fats accelerating the disease. The study found that four genes, including one with unknown function, are involved in this effect, highlighting the importance of a balanced fat intake.
Researchers at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have developed the PDA web service, allowing scientists to analyze genetic diversity in different individuals and species. The server enables the search for small variations in genomes, providing valuable information for studying illnesses with a genetic origin.
A team of researchers from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona has discovered a new genetic mechanism for evolution involving transposons and antisense RNA. Transposons can silence genes by inducing antisense RNA, leading to favorable changes in adaptation and survival.
A study of 2060 children reveals that maternal obesity is a major predictor of cardiac and minor malformations, while gestational diabetes only predicts skeletal malformations. The authors suggest that excess energy and insulin resistance contribute to malformations.
A team of researchers found that domesticated donkeys originated in northeastern Africa approximately 5,000 years ago. Genetic analysis revealed two distinct lineages, indicating two separate domestications, which occurred between 303,000 and 91,000 years ago.
Researchers discover that mobile DNA sequences, known as transposons, generate chromosomal inversions in the Drosophila fly. These inversions are found in small independent DNA sequences and have a positive role in evolution.