The secret life of yeast bread. Raleigh News and Observer, January 31, 2011. Have you ever wondered why bread rises? Why sourdough bread tastes different from French? A chemist demystifies the science and craft behind one of our most familiar foods.
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Biological clock ticks slower for female birds who choose good mates
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Biological clock ticks slower for female birds who choose good mates. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, January 18, 2011. In birds as in people, female fertility declines with age, but some female songbirds can slow the ticking of their biological clocks by choosing the right mates. Picked up by MSNBC.
The worms within
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The worms within. Scientific American Guest Blog, December 17, 2010. Some of the worms and germs we’ve been warding off may actually keep us well. One solution, some scientists say, is to welcome them back.
Primates are more resilient than other animals to environmental ups and downs
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Primates are more resilient than other animals to environmental ups and downs. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, December 1, 2010.What sets mankind’s closest relatives — monkeys, apes, and other primates — apart from other animals? According to a new study, one answer is that primates are less susceptible to seasonal ups and downs. Picked up by TIME Magazine.
Scientists look at crops, bugs and animals
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Scientists look at crops, bugs and animals. Raleigh News and Observer, November 8, 2010. When most people think about genetic engineering, they usually think of genetically modified crops like corn and soybeans. Now, the debate over transgenics is turning from plants to mosquitoes and other pests.
Single parenthood doesn’t pay off for plants
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Single parenthood doesn’t pay off for plants. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, November 8, 2010. Plants that can pollinate themselves are more likely to go extinct, says a new study of the nightshade plant family.
N.C. Zoo works without borders
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N.C. Zoo works without borders. Raleigh News and Observer, September 20, 2010. Researchers at the NC zoo use high tech tracking tools to save wildlife and wild places far beyond the park gates.
Scared snails opt for single parenthood rather than wait for a mate
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Scared snails opt for single parenthood rather than wait for a mate. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, August 16, 2010. Solitary snails in search of a mate put off parenthood as long as possible in the hopes that a partner will appear. But scared snails settle for single parenthood much sooner than their calm counterparts, says a new study. Picked up by USA Today, the Dallas Morning News, and LiveScience.
Penguin males with steady pitch make better parents
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Penguin males with steady pitch make better parents. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, July 12, 2010. Courtship calls help penguin females decide which males are likely to be devoted dads. Picked up by the New Zealand Herald and the Post and Courier.
Why you should never arm wrestle a saber-toothed tiger
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Why you should never arm wrestle a saber-toothed tiger. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, July 2, 2010. Saber-toothed cats may be best known for their supersized canines, but they also had exceptionally strong forelimbs for pinning prey before delivering the fatal bite. Picked up by Discover Magazine, Science News, MSNBC, and Science.
Ants forecast forests’ future
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Ants forecast forests’ future. Raleigh News and Observer, June 28, 2010. Ants and other insects may not be the first things you spot on a walk in the woods, but N.C. State biologist Rob Dunn believes they have something important to say about the future of forests under climate change.
Competition puts the brakes on body evolution in island lizards
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Competition puts the brakes on body evolution in island lizards. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, June 18, 2010. Anolis lizards compete in ways that shape their bodies over evolutionary time, says a new study in the journal Evolution.
Thriving in thin air
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Scientists uncover the genetic secrets that allow Tibetans to thrive in thin air. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, June 7, 2010. A new study pinpoints the genetic changes that enable Tibetans to thrive at altitudes where others get sick. Picked up by Discovery News, Irish Times, and the New York Times.
Desperate female spiders fight by different rules
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Desperate female spiders fight by different rules. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, June 7, 2010. In most animals the bigger, better fighter usually wins. But for the jumping spider Phidippus clarus, size and skill aren’t everything — what matters for Phidippus females is how badly they want to win. Picked up by U.S. News and World Report, Wired Science, and NOVA.
Road to royalty begins early in paper wasps
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The making of a queen: Road to royalty begins early in paper wasps. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, May 19, 2010. Social status in paper wasps is established earlier in life than scientists thought. Picked up by Life’s Little Mysteries.
DNA barcoding exposes fake ferns
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DNA barcoding exposes fake ferns in international plant trade. Duke Today, May 4, 2010. DNA testing of garden ferns sold at plant nurseries in North Carolina, Texas, and California has found that plants marketed as American natives may actually be exotic species from other parts of the globe. Picked up by the Raleigh News and Observer and the Charlotte Observer.
Scientists flag possible risks from soy formula
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Scientists flag possible risks from soy formula. Charlotte Observer, April 26, 2010. Soy formula has been used for decades as an alternative to milk formula for children who are lactose intolerant or whose families wish to maintain a vegan diet. In recent years, however, studies in laboratory animals have raised concerns about the safety of soy.
For deep sea animals, food can be a double-edged sword
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When the dinner bell rings for seafloor scavengers, larger animals get first dibs. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, April 5, 2010. Surplus food can be a double-edged sword for animals in the ocean deep. Picked up by Science News and Down to Earth Magazine.
Pine pollen still potent miles from the tree
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Gone with the wind: Far-flung pine pollen still potent miles from the tree. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, April 5, 2010. Pollen from the loblolly pine—the most commonly planted tree in the southern US—can still germinate after drifting long distances, which may make it difficult to contain transgenic trees. Picked up by Science News, the Raleigh News and Observer, and the Durham Herald-Sun.
Flowering plants may be older than previously thought
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Molecular study could push back angiosperm origins. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, March 15, 2010. Flowering plants may be considerably older than previously thought, says a new analysis of the plant family tree.
Africa’s rarest monkey had an intriguing sexual past
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Africa’s rarest monkey had an intriguing sexual past, DNA study confirms. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, November 9, 2009. Results may help to set conservation priorities for this critically endangered species. Picked up by National Geographic and MSNBC.
Male sabertoothed cats were pussycats
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Male sabertoothed cats were pussycats compared to macho lions. Duke Today, November 5, 2009. Despite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins, says a new study of male-female size differences in extinct big cats. Picked up by the Durham Herald-Sun, Laelaps Science Blog, Fox News, MSNBC, and National Public Radio.
Are humans still evolving? Absolutely.
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Are humans still evolving? Absolutely, says a new analysis of a long-term study of human health. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, October 19, 2009. Although advances in medical care have improved standards of living over time, humans aren’t entirely sheltered from the forces of natural selection, a new study shows. Picked up by the Boston Globe, TIME, Science Magazine, NPR’s Science Friday, New Scientist, and Telegraph.
Woody plants adapted to past climate change more slowly than herbs
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Woody plants adapted to past climate change more slowly than herbs. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, September 23, 2009. Can we predict which species will be most vulnerable to climate change by studying how they responded in the past? If past is prelude, trees and shrubs may have a harder time keeping pace with global warming. Picked up by USA Today.
Freshwater fish at the top of the food chain evolve more slowly
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Freshwater fish at the top of the food chain evolve more slowly. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, August 28, 2009. Once fish evolve the size and speed needed to become top predators, natural selection keeps them in an evolutionary holding pattern, a new study finds.