How status sticks to genes. Duke Today, Oct. 15, 2019. Life at the bottom of the social ladder may have long-term health effects that even upward mobility can’t undo, according to new research in monkeys.
Category Archives: press release
Baboon sexes differ in how social status gets ‘under the skin’
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Baboon sexes differ in how social status gets ‘under the skin.’ Duke Today, December 17, 2018. In humans and many other animals, the lower an individual’s social status, the worse their health. But new research in wild baboons suggests that the nature of the status-health relationship depends on whether an individual has to fight for status, or it’s given to them.
Birds categorize colors just like humans do
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Birds categorize colors just like humans do. Duke Today, August 1, 2018. For a reddish-beaked bird called the zebra finch, sexiness is color-coded. Males have beaks that range from light orange to dark red. But to females, a male’s colored bill may simply be hot, or not, findings suggest. Due to a phenomenon called categorical perception, zebra finches partition the range of hues from red to orange into two discrete categories, much like humans do, researchers report in the journal Nature. Picked up by Forbes, Discover Magazine, BBC News and ZME Science.
Lemurs can smell weakness in each other
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Lemurs can smell weakness in each other. Duke Today, June 28, 2018. Some people watch the competition carefully for the slightest signs of weakness. Lemurs, on the other hand, just give them a sniff. These primates from Madagascar can tell that a fellow lemur is weaker just by the natural scents they leave behind, finds a study on ring-tailed lemurs led by Duke University researchers. The study reveals that getting hurt dampens a lemur’s natural aroma, and that males act more aggressively toward scents that smell “off.” Picked up by National Geographic.
Nanomaterials could mean more algae outbreaks for wetlands, waterways
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Nanomaterials could mean more algae outbreaks for wetlands, waterways. Duke Today, June 25, 2018. The last 10 years have seen a surge in the use of tiny substances called nanomaterials in agrochemicals like pesticides and fungicides. The idea is to provide more disease protection and better yields for crops, while decreasing the amount of toxins sprayed on agricultural fields. But when combined with nutrient runoff from fertilized cropland and manure-filled pastures, these “nanopesticides” could also mean more toxic algae outbreaks for nearby streams, lakes and wetlands, researchers report.
When cozying up with would-be predators, cleaner shrimp follow a dependable script
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When cozying up with would-be predators, cleaner shrimp follow a dependable script. Duke Today, June 20, 2018. It’s a mystery how cleaner shrimp partner with would-be fish predators — sometimes even climbing in their mouths — without getting eaten. A new study reveals how the shrimp convinces fish not to eat them, and the fish conveys that it’s a friend and not a foe. Picked up by National Geographic.
Birds have time-honored traditions, too
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Birds have time-honored traditions, too. Duke Today, June 20, 2018. By faithfully copying the most popular songs, swamp sparrows create time-honored song traditions that can be just as long-lasting as human traditions, finds a new study. The results show that creating traditions that pass the test of time doesn’t necessarily require exceptional smarts. Picked up by Gizmodo, Mental Floss, Newsweek, the Daily Mail, Science Magazine, National Geographic, The London Economic, News & Observer and New Scientist.
Details that look sharp to people may be blurry to their pets
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Details that look sharp to people may be blurry to their pets. Duke Today, May 30, 2018. Blind as a bat or eagle-eyed? Scientists compared hundreds of species by the sharpness of their sight. They found a 10,000-fold difference between the most sharp-sighted and the most blurry-eyed species, with humans ranking near the top. The researchers also created a series of images showing how different scenes might appear to animals with different acuities. The images reveal patterns that, while easy for some species to see, may be imperceptible to others. Picked up by Wired, EarthSky, Futurity, ZME Science, Smithsonian, Discover Magazine, Inverse and the Daily Mail.
How turning down the heat makes a baby turtle male
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How turning down the heat makes a baby turtle male. Duke Today, May 10, 2018. Scientists have started to crack the 50-year-old puzzle of how temperature turns baby turtles male or female. In a study in the journal Science, researchers show that cooler egg incubation temperatures turn up a key gene called Kdm6b in the turtle’s immature sex organs. This in turn acts as a biological “on” switch, activating other genes that allow testes to develop without altering the underlying genetic code. Picked up by Science News and BBC News.
Why a robot can’t yet outjump a flea
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Why a robot can’t yet outjump a flea. Duke Today, April 26, 2018. Smashing mantis shrimp. Snapping trap-jaw ants. Stinging jellyfish. Some of the fastest living things — at least over short distances — are also the smallest. A new mathematical model explores how the smallest and speediest things on Earth generate their powerful jumps, snaps, strikes and punches. The model could help explain why robots can’t hold a candle to the fastest-moving insects and other tiny-but-powerful creatures, and how they could get closer. Picked up by Scientific American, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Quartz and Tech Times.
Warming climate could speed forest regrowth in eastern U.S.
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Warming climate could speed forest regrowth in eastern U.S. Duke Today, April 16, 2018. Warming climate could speed the natural regrowth of forests on undeveloped or abandoned land in the eastern United States, according to a new study. Previous research has shown that the succession from field to forest can happen decades sooner in the southeastern U.S. than in the Northeast. But it wasn’t obvious why. A new study points to temperature as the major factor influencing the pace of reforestation.
How infighting turns toxic for chimpanzees
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How infighting turns toxic for chimpanzees. Duke Today, March 26, 2018. How did a once-unified community of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, end up at each other’s throats? In a new study, researchers mapped the chimps’ social networks at different periods leading up to the split to pinpoint when relations began to fray, and test ideas about what caused the rift. The most likely culprit was a power struggle among three top-ranking males, which was made worse by a shortage of fertile females, results show. Picked up by Quartz, CBC News, Seeker, Futurity and the Daily Mail.
How the color-changing hogfish ‘sees’ with its skin
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How the color-changing hogfish ‘sees’ with its skin. Duke Today, March 12, 2018. The hogfish can go from white to reddish in milliseconds as it adjusts to shifting conditions in the ocean. Scientists have long suspected that animals with quick-changing colors don’t just rely on their eyes to tune their appearance to their surroundings — they also sense light with their skin. But exactly how remains a mystery. A study reveals that hogfish skin senses light differently from eyes. Picked up by Futurity.
Mantis shrimp size each other up before ceding a fight
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Mantis shrimp size each other up before ceding a fight. Duke Today, Jan. 17, 2018. To a mantis shrimp, walking away from a fight doesn’t mean being a wimp. It means recognizing who they’re up against and knowing when to bail rather than drag out a doomed battle, researchers say. Picked up by Newsweek.
Women survive crises better than men
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Women survive crises better than men. Duke Today, Jan. 9, 2018. Women tend to live longer than men almost everywhere worldwide. Now, three centuries of data show that women don’t just outlive men in normal times: They’re more likely to survive even in the worst of circumstances, such as famines and epidemics. Picked up by Xinhua, The Guardian, United Press International, Futurity, U.S. News & World Report, New York Post and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Bonobos prefer jerks
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Bonobos prefer jerks. Jan. 4, 2018. Never trust anyone who is rude to a waiter, advice columnists say. But while humans generally prefer individuals who are nice to others, a Duke University study finds bonobos are more attracted to jerks. The fact that our closest primate relatives prefer bullies suggests that an aversion to creeps is one of the things that makes humans different from other species, and may underlie our unusually cooperative nature. Picked up by Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, UPI, Science News, Quartz, Radio France, Le Figaro, France Inter, Smithsonian, Cosmos, Daily Mail, Discover Magazine, Scientific American and National Public Radio.
Cells bulge to squeeze through barriers
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Cells bulge to squeeze through barriers. Nov. 27, 2017. Duke scientists have discovered a new tool in the cell’s invasion machinery that may help explain cancer’s ability to spread. Time-lapse imaging of the worm C. elegans reveals a fleeting protrusion that wedges into a tiny gap in the protective layer that surrounds the cell, and swells until the breach is wide enough for the cell to squeeze through. The findings could point to new ways to prevent metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Picked up by Futurity and STAT.
Chimp females who leave home postpone parenthood
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Chimp females who leave home postpone parenthood. Nov. 20, 2017. Female chimps that lack supportive friends and family wait longer to start having babies, Duke University researchers find. An analysis of more than 50 years’ worth of daily records for female chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania indicates that would-be moms who leave home or are orphaned take roughly three years longer to start a family. Picked up by the Daily Mail.
Bonobos help strangers without being asked
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Bonobos help strangers without being asked. Duke Today, Nov. 7, 2017. The impulse to be kind to strangers was long thought to be unique to humans, but research on bonobos suggests our species is not as exceptional in this regard as we like to think. Famously friendly apes from Africa’s Congo Basin, bonobos will go out of their way to help a stranger get food even when there is no immediate payback, researchers show. What’s more, they help spontaneously without having to be asked first. Picked up by Newsweek, Psychology Today, Daily Mail, National Geographic, Reddit, ABC.es and Le Monde.
Humans don’t use as much brainpower as we like to think
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Humans don’t use as much brainpower as we like to think. Duke Today, Oct. 31, 2017. For years, scientists assumed that humans devote a larger share of calories to their brains than other animals. Although the human brain makes up only 2 percent of body weight, it consumes more than 25 percent of the body’s energy budget. But a comparison of the relative brain costs of 22 species found that other animals have hungry brains too. Picked up by the Daily Mail, IFLScience, Futurity and United Press International.
iPhone app could guide MS research, treatment
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iPhone app could guide MS research, treatment. Duke Today, Oct. 3, 2017. For some diseases, a simple blood test is all that’s needed to gauge severity or confirm a diagnosis. Not so for multiple sclerosis. No single lab test can tell doctors what type of MS a patient has, nor whether it’s responding to treatment. By better tracking patients with help from a new iPhone app, researchers hope to take some of the guesswork out of treating MS and pave the way to more personalized care. Picked up by the News & Observer and the Herald-Sun.
Helping robots learn to see in 3-D
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Helping robots learn to see in 3-D. July 14, 2017. While it’s relatively straightforward for robots to “see” objects with cameras and other sensors, interpreting what they see, from a single glimpse, is difficult. New technology enables robots to spot a new object and recognize what it is, whether it is right side up or upside down, without examining it from multiple angles. It can also fill in the blind spots in its field of vision and “imagine” any parts that are hidden from view. Picked up by NPR affiliate WFDD radio.
New tools safeguard Census data about where you live and work
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New tools safeguard Census data about where you live and work. Duke Today, May 18, 2017. New methods enable people to learn as much as possible from Census data for policy-making and funding decisions, while guaranteeing that no one can trace the data back to your household or business. Census-related statistics are used to allocate billions of dollars annually for things like disaster relief, roads and schools. Researchers have developed algorithms that guarantee your information stays private without compromising research about your community.
Researchers identify genes that help trout find their way home
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Researchers identify genes that help trout find their way home. Duke Today, April 26, 2017. In the spring when water temperatures start to rise, rainbow trout that have spent several years at sea traveling hundreds of miles from home manage, without maps or GPS, to find their way back to the rivers and streams where they were born for spawning. Researchers have identified genes that enable the fish to perform this extraordinary homing feat with help from Earth’s magnetic field. Picked up by the Daily Mail, Nature, The Herald-Sun, IFLScience and the News & Observer.
Mating mix-up with wrong fly lowers libido for Mr. Right
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Mating mix-up with wrong fly lowers libido for Mr. Right. Duke Today, March 16, 2017. If you’ve ever suffered a nightmare date and were hesitant to try again, fruit flies can relate. Female flies that have been coerced into sex by invasive males of the wrong species are less likely to reproduce with their own kind later. Invasive species are known to threaten native biodiversity by bringing in diseases, preying on resident species or outcompeting them for food. But these results show invasives pose a risk through unwelcome advances, too. Picked up by The Discovery Files, a podcast from the National Science Foundation.