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Stone tools of Indonesian "hobbit" studied

A Southern Cross University researcher has begun the painstaking task of analysing hundreds of stone tools believed to have been used by the “hobbits” – a new species of miniature humans found on the Indonesian island of Flores.

8 Nov 2004

Sexual competition among males is evident at the molecular level, as well as at behavioral and physiological levels

In what could be termed a truly seminal discovery, researchers have shown that when females are more promiscuous, males have to work harder -- at the genetic level, that is. More specifically, they determined that a protein controlling semen viscosity evolves more rapidly in primate species with promiscuous females than in monogamous species.

8 Nov 2004

Crystal structure of protein AIRs kinase uncovered

Cornell University researchers, who are trying to understand how proteins evolve and function by looking at their structural features, have uncovered the crystal structure of a protein involved in making the building blocks of DNA correctly.

4 Nov 2004

Scientists have found a fossil that explains the history of the nose

Our ancestors had two nostrils, one front and one back, but no opening on the palate or in the throat. They could smell, but not breathe with their nose. How did our nose evolve?

4 Nov 2004

Researchers provide concrete evidence about how the human eye evolved

When Darwin's skeptics attack his theory of evolution, they often focus on the eye. Darwin himself confessed that it was "absurd" to propose that the human eye, an "organ of extreme perfection and complication" evolved through spontaneous mutation and natural selection.

1 Nov 2004

Interaction of nervous system proteins help researchers better understand age-related memory and hearing loss

In a finding that may one day help researchers better understand age-related memory and hearing loss, scientists have shown that two key nervous system proteins interact in a manner that helps regulate the transmission of signals in the nervous system.

29 Oct 2004

Scientists identify crucial elements necessary for repairing damaged DNA

A team of University of Sussex-led scientists has identified crucial elements necessary for repairing damaged DNA - the blueprint for all living cells.

25 Oct 2004

Dolphins brain size helps to provide some answers to how the species evolved in relation to humans

The intelligence and cognitive capabilities of dolphins and their aquatic cousins have long fascinated the public and the scientific community, but the question of how and why they have such large brains has mostly gone unanswered.

25 Oct 2004

Australian platypus research has implications for understanding the evolution of human sex determination

The mystery surrounding sex determination of the unique Australian platypus has yielded a surprising secret: it has 10 sex chromosomes.

25 Oct 2004

Insects implicated in the evolution of new human infectious diseases

Insects and other invertebrates are the arena for the evolution of new infectious diseases in humans, new research shows.

25 Oct 2004

Why some anesthesiologists end up abusing drugs

University of Florida researchers have presented a new theory at the 34th annual Society for Neuroscience on why some anesthesiologists end up abusing drugs.

25 Oct 2004

Neuroimaging initiative to track early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers are looking for ways to spot early warning signs in the brain of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

22 Oct 2004

Molecule that helps DNA replicate may make good target for cancer therapy

In order to divide, cells must first replicate their chromosomes. Cells use an array of proteins to accomplish the job, including a large enzyme complex that synthesizes new strands of DNA.

21 Oct 2004

Researchers trim count of human genes to 20,000-25,000

Scientific description of the finished human genome sequence, reducing the estimated number of human protein-coding genes from 35,000 to only 20,000-25,000, a surprisingly low number for our species.

21 Oct 2004

Laboratory test of evolutionary theory confirms the importance of connections between populations

Researchers studying the evolutionary dynamics of bacteria and viruses in bubbling glass tubes have confirmed an evolutionary theory of central importance to ecologists studying more familiar flora and fauna in the wild.

13 Oct 2004

Combination of computer science and biology could aid cancer research

The technique helps to show how cells modify their own genetic makeup and may allow cancer treatments to be tailored more precisely to a patient's disease.

11 Oct 2004

Discovery could lead to the creation of naturally decaffeinated coffee plants

Chemists at Emory University have made an important advance in harnessing the ability of bacteria to make new molecules, and their discovery could eventually lead to the creation of naturally decaffeinated coffee plants.

10 Oct 2004

Research shows C. botulinum uses SONO to detect nitric oxide

A deadly bacterium's defense against a mortal molecular enemy illuminates the origins and structure of a vital protein involved in human cell signaling, University of Texas Medical School scientists report in Science Express.

8 Oct 2004

Breastfeeding women increase sexual desire among other women

Breastfeeding women and their infants produce a substance that increases sexual desire among other women, according to research at the University of Chicago.

6 Oct 2004

Reliability theory explains human aging

The quest to understand and control aging has led University of Chicago biologists Leonid Gavrilov and Natalia Gavrilova to draw inspiration from what might seem an unlikely source: reliability engineering.

4 Oct 2004