The difference between webbed toes and distinct digits may be the result of not just genetic information, but of how the genes regulate that information. Researchers at the National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS) in Japan found that a small, non-specific tweak to a mammal's DNA can potentially cause specific...
Predator control can have unintended consequences
Introduced predators pose threats to biodiversity and are implicated in the extinction of many native species. A new Mammal Review analysis of published studies highlights unintended outcomes of predator control programs that are implemented to mitigate these effects.
In Australia, considerable effort is spent controlling populations of introduced predators, including the dingo Canis dingo and the...
Eating insects might seem yucky, but they are nutritious and there is no reason you can't
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Almost all living primates still have working versions of the gene needed to produce a stomach enzyme that breaks down exoskeletons. This means that the 'yuck' factor when it comes to eating insects has nothing to do with nutrition, digestion or evolution....
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Fat cat? Here's how much to feed to lose weight
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Does your cat lay around all day, only getting up to eat and visit the litter box? Chances are, he's overweight. Maybe you've switched to the 'diet' cat food or tried feeding him less, but you might have noticed it's not easy to get that weight off. A new study explains...
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Meet Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, the first monkey clones produced by method that made Dolly
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The first primate clones made by somatic cell nuclear transfer are two genetically identical long-tailed macaques have recently been born. Researchers named the newborns Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua after the Chinese adjective 'Zhonghua,' which means Chinese nation or people. The technical milestone makes it a realistic possibility for labs to...
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New 'big-armed fly' species named after former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
New species can be named for all types of attributes, but Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County entomologist Brian Brown knew exactly what name to give a bizarre new fly species he discovered in the Brazilian Amazon.
"As soon as I saw those bulging legs, I knew I had to name this one after Arnold,"...