Phys.org news
Phys.org / Evidence of upright walking found in 7-million-year-old Sahelanthropus fossils
In recent decades, scientists have debated whether a seven-million-year-old fossil was bipedal—a trait that would make it the oldest human ancestor. A new analysis by a team of anthropologists offers powerful evidence that ...
Phys.org / Flowering plant origins: Dosage-sensitive genes suggest no whole-genome duplications in ancestral angiosperm
Angiosperms, also known as flowering plants, represent the most diverse group of seed plants, and their origin and evolution have long been a central question in plant evolutionary biology. Whole-genome duplication (WGD), ...
Phys.org / Bacteria reveal second 'shutdown mode' for surviving antibiotic treatment
A new study reveals that bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment through two fundamentally different "shutdown modes," not just the classic idea of dormancy. The paper is published in the journal Science Advances.
Phys.org / Wood-derived chemicals offer safer alternative for thermal receipt paper coatings
Every day, millions of people use thermal paper without thinking about it. Receipts, shipping labels, tickets, and medical records all rely on heat‑sensitive coatings to make text appear. More specifically, heat triggers ...
Phys.org / First ancient herpesvirus genomes document their deep history with humans
For the first time, scientists have reconstructed the ancient genomes of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from archaeological human remains more than two millennia old. The study, led by the University of Vienna ...
Phys.org / Astronomers measure both mass and distance of a rogue planet for the first time
While most planets that we are familiar with stick relatively close to their host star in a predictable orbit, some planets seem to have been knocked out of their orbits, floating through space free of any particular gravitational ...
Phys.org / Sudden breakups of monogamous quantum couples surprise researchers
Quantum particles have a social life, of a sort. They interact and form relationships with each other, and one of the most important features of a quantum particle is whether it is an introvert—a fermion—or an extrovert—a ...
Phys.org / Chess960's random setups still favor white, new study reveals
Chess is a relatively simple game to learn but a very difficult one to master. Because the starting positions of the pieces are fixed, top players have relied on memorizing the "best" opening moves, which can sometimes result ...
Phys.org / How the 'guardian of the genome' impacts blood vessel growth
The protein p53, best known as the "guardian of the genome" for its role in preventing cancer, can affect blood vessels in different ways. However, it has not been clear how p53 can slow blood vessel growth in some cases ...
Phys.org / How juvenile lobsters fall into a deadly natural trap in the Florida Keys
In the shallow waters of the Florida Keys, juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters are unwittingly meeting their doom by stumbling into naturally occurring ecological traps, according to a new study published in the Proceedings ...
Phys.org / Two white-blooded fish, two paths: Icefish and noodlefish independently lose red blood cell function
Antarctic icefish are famous for living without red blood cells, but they are not alone. A species of needle-shaped, warm-water fish called the Asian noodlefish also lacks hemoglobin and red blood cells. Like icefish, its ...
Phys.org / Origins of THC, CBD and CBC in cannabis revealed
Where do the well-known cannabis compounds THC, CBD and CBC come from? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have experimentally demonstrated for the first time how cannabis acquired the ability to produce these ...
