Phys.org news

Phys.org / Urokodia! 518-million-year-old fossil shows beginning of spider's bite

The earliest evidence of spiders' fangs has been identified in a 518-million-year-old fossil by scientists at the University of Leicester and Yunnan University.

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Single-atom catalyst turns lignin into valuable chemicals with near-complete conversion

Researchers at The University of Manchester and Hebei University of Technology have identified how a new class of catalyst can break down lignin into useful chemical building blocks, offering a more sustainable route to replace ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / XMM-Newton and Chandra help revise distance to Milky Way's outer spiral arms

The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescopes have spotted the aftermath of three bright explosions echoing through the outer spiral arms of our galaxy, the Milky Way. By measuring the distance ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / World's first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle could revolutionize biological engineering

While many of life's mysteries remain unsolved, every biologist can describe the basic processes performed by a living organism, including energy use, reproduction, growth and development. While these characteristics can ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Woodcock charge deer to defend nests, footage reveals

American woodcock, short, plump shorebirds with long, thin beaks, are widely known for their bobbing stride and nasally "peent" calls, but not for being aggressive. Yet one April afternoon, when a deer sniffed around a woodcock ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Himalayan pangolin emerges as distinct species, confirmed with DNA from 19th-century specimen

The pangolin is a midsize mammal found only in Africa and Asia. The pangolins' scales make them unique, but these scales have become their undoing. Pangolins are poached for their scales, making them the most highly trafficked ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / What made trees possible? New research points to drought

A study is reframing a fundamental question in plant evolution: What made trees possible? Researchers from Cal Poly Humboldt, Yale University, the University of Hohenheim in Germany and the Czech Academy of Sciences set out ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Evolutionary origins of 'junk DNA' may provide new clues to cancer

In cancer research, one person's junk is increasingly becoming another person's treasure. Scientists have uncovered new evidence showing how recently evolved "junk DNA" genetic elements can become integrated into ancient ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Primate brains might have evolved to 'catch up' with larger bodies, but then kept growing

A new analysis supports the previously overlooked "brain lag" hypothesis—the idea that, in some primate lineages, the evolution of larger body size preceded the evolution of larger brain size—while also building on that hypothesis ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers discover novel SRV2 envelope protein for efficient CAR immune cell production

A Korean research team has developed a new viral vector technology that significantly improves the production efficiency of next-generation cell and gene therapies known as CAR immune cell therapies, which are designed to ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Were Clovis foragers in Late Pleistocene North America big-game hunters, or just big-game scavengers?

There are currently 15 well-documented Late Pleistocene localities in North America in which Clovis points are found associated with proboscidean remains (of mammoth, mastodon and gomphothere). Archaeologists routinely assume ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Martian dust storms may generate atmospheric electrical conditions that could impact future missions

A new study by a doctoral researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, suggests global dust storms on Mars may organize the Martian atmosphere into regions favorable ...

Jul 1, 2026