Human faces are rife with microscopic mites that live, feed and reproduce on facial skin until their host dies. But a new study on their genes found that the 0.3-millimeter-long critter is potentially on the verge of extinction because of its lifestyle choices, Discover Magazine reported. Demodex...
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Scientists recently pinpointed where domestic chickens come from, in a study that challenges previous theories about the beginnings of fowl domestication, South China Morning Post reported. The origins of chicken domestication remain shrouded in mystery and two theories suggest that the flightless bird was first domesticated...
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A new study found that the brain automatically tries to acquire new knowledge irrespective of whether an individual is actively trying to learn, BBC’s Science Focus reported. In a new study, a research team designed a series of computer game experiments to test the latent learning...
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Climate change has been causing strange weather phenomena around the globe, including severe heatwaves and catastrophic wildfires. Firefighters can only do so much. Enter goats: These sure-footed creatures have increasingly moved in, in various regions, to help prevent wildfires from getting out of control, the Washington Post...
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Researchers recently discovered that the larvae of the darkling beetle can survive on Styrofoam, the Washington Post reported. Commonly known as “superworms,” the tiny organisms are equipped with a set of enzymes that can break down polystyrene products – better known as Styrofoam, they wrote in...
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Scientists recently gained more insight into cigarette smoking addiction after studying the brains of stroke patients, New Scientist reported. A research team analyzed the brain scans of 34 people who suddenly lost their nicotine cravings following a stroke or brain damage from a physical injury. They then...
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Rising temperatures have been threatening the habitats of polar bears for years as the floating slabs of ice they used to hunt began to disappear. Now, a research team has discovered a group of genetically distinct polar bears living in southeastern Greenland that have been isolated...
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The Gaia space observatory recently collected a trove of scientific data about the Milky Way that provides new insights into the galaxy’s evolution and the DNA of thousands of stars, the Telegraph reported. Currently located more than 900,000 miles from Earth, the powerful telescope was launched...
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It took more than 600 years but scientists finally discovered the origins of the Black Death, CBS News reported. In a new study, researchers pinpointed the source of the pandemic in a region in Central Asia after analyzing DNA from remains at an ancient burial site. The...
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The early human ancestors in Africa were sharing knowledge and communicating across vast distances more than 60,000 years ago, according to a recent study. A research team discovered that the early Homo sapiens made a 65,000-year-old stone tool in exactly the same shape and using the...
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A new study discovered that being “hot-headed” is a sign of a healthy brain, according to Cosmos magazine. A research team found that normal human brain temperatures can change based on age, gender, menstrual and sleep cycles. For their paper, they analyzed the brains of 40 healthy...
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All mammal species, including humans, have belly buttons. one dinosaur species had them as well, according to Smithsonian Magazine. In a new study, scientists studied the remains of a Psittacosaurus, a non-avian dino species that lived more than 100 million years ago in what is now...
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Asteroids and comets around the galaxy could be holding the building blocks of life. At least that seems the case with the Ryugu asteroid, located more than 200 million miles from the Earth, Live Science reported. In a first-of-its-kind study, Japanese scientists discovered more than 20 amino...
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An international team of scientists recently created the world’s largest wild chimpanzee genomic catalog by sequencing DNA from the animals’ excrement, according to Zenger News. In their paper, researchers explained how they gathered genomic data from more than 800 chimp fecal samples, a process that poses...
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Say hello to the Greek alumni of the 1st century CE. British researchers recently translated a 2,000 year-old Greek marble tablet that resembled the yearbook of a graduating class, NPR reported. According to the translation, the team explained that the inscription was a “class book” listing the...
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Termites are real globetrotters and that is not because of their ability to fly, Science Alert reported. In a new study, scientists discovered that species in the drywood termite family have crossed the world’s oceans more than 40 times in the last 50 million years. Drywood termites...
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It’s long been rumored that coffee isn’t good for you. In fact, a new study found that people who drink a moderate amount of coffee per day – whether with or without sugar – appear to have a lower risk of early death, the Guardian reported. Scientists...
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Giraffes didn’t evolve long necks for feeding but for fighting and attracting mates, according to new research. A research team studied the remains of a giraffe ancestor known for having a shorter neck and a hard skull capable of delivering powerful head-butts, the New York Times...
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Scientists recently discovered that the monstrous Megalodon shark possibly died millions of years ago because of competition with the great whites, New Scientist reported. Measuring nearly 50 feet in length and packing palm-sized teeth, the Megalodon had a big appetite while it terrorized the world’s oceans...
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Scientists recently discovered that jackdaws practice a form of democracy when deciding to take flight in large numbers, Sky News reported. Researchers at the University of Exeter, in Britain, wrote in a new study that jackdaws roost in groups of hundreds – or thousands – and...
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