The Hobbit’s bite gets a stress test

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The Hobbit’s bite gets a stress test. Duke Today, Aug. 23, 2021. If you’ve ever suffered from a sore jaw that popped or clicked when you chewed gum or crunched hard foods, you may be able to blame it on your extinct ancestors. That’s according to a study of the chewing mechanics of an ancient human relative called Homo floresiensis, which inhabited the Indonesian island of Flores before our species arrived there some 50,000 years ago. Picked up by Archaeology.

Dolphins get 40s flab, too

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Dolphins get 40s flab, too. Duke Today, Aug. 13, 2021. If you feel like your metabolism just isn’t what it used to be, no matter how many hours you spend in the gym, dolphins can relate. A new study finds that bottlenose dolphins burn calories at a lower rate as they get older, just like we do. It’s the first time scientists have measured an age-related metabolic slowdown in another large-bodied species besides humans. Picked up by Earth.com and The Weather Channel.

Metabolism changes with age, just not when you might think

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Metabolism changes with age, just not when you might think. Duke Today, Aug. 12, 2021. Researchers have precisely measured life’s metabolic highs and lows, from birth to old age, and the findings might surprise you. Picked up by the New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post, NBC News, Huffington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, WRAL, UPI, Fox News, the Miami Herald, the Raleigh News & Observer, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Seattle Times, Science and BBC.

You can snuggle wolf pups all you want, they still won’t ‘get’ you quite like your dog

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You can snuggle wolf pups all you want, they still won’t ‘get’ you quite like your dog. Duke Today, July 12, 2021. If you feel like your dog gets you in a way that most other animals don’t, you’re right. New research comparing dog puppies to human-reared wolf pups offers some clues to how dogs’ unusual people-reading skills came to be. Picked up by CNN, UPI, Scientific American, Science News, Haaretz Daily, Inverse, Wired, The Miami Herald, MSN, Psychology Today, Business Insider, INDY Week and the Raleigh News & Observer.

How one of the oldest natural insecticides keeps mosquitoes away

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How one of the oldest natural insecticides keeps mosquitoes away. Duke Today, May 11, 2021. A new study has identified a scent receptor in mosquitoes that helps them sniff out and avoid trace amounts of pyrethrum, a plant extract used for centuries to repel insect pests. These findings could help researchers develop new broad spectrum repellents to keep a variety of mosquito species at bay, and by extension stop them from biting people and spreading disease. Picked up by Scientific American and WRAL-TV.

Warming seas might also look less colorful to some fish. Here’s why that matters.

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Warming seas might also look less colorful to some fish. Here’s why that matters. Duke Today, April 21, 2021. Climate change is driving some fish into cooler, deeper waters. Now they may be faced with another challenge: how to make sense of a world drained of color. Researchers report that even small increases in depth could make it harder for fish to discern the hues they use to find food, friends and family. They are trying to predict which species will be most impacted, and whether they’ll be able to adapt. Picked up by MSN.

Some unusual creatures are coming out of winter’s slumber. Here’s why scientists are excited.

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Some unusual creatures are coming out of winter’s slumber. Here’s why scientists are excited. Duke Today, March 12, 2021. Animals that hibernate in the wild rarely do so in zoos and sanctuaries, with their climate controls and year-round access to food. But now our closest hibernating relative has gone into true, deep hibernation in captivity for the first time at the Duke Lemur Center. Studying dwarf lemur torpor may help humans safely enter and emerge from suspended states, such as when cardiac surgeons cool patients to slow their hearts for life-saving surgery. Picked up by Inverse, Gizmodo, Smithsonian Magazine here and here, IFLScience and KHOU 11 News Houston.

Conjuring Coltrane

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Conjuring Coltrane. Duke Today, January 6, 2021. Duke researchers have been trying to reverse-engineer vintage saxophone sound, using X-ray imaging and 3D printing.