Phys.org news

Phys.org / A handful of teeth may rewrite the story of marsupial evolution

Researchers have found evidence of a previously unknown branch of the marsupial family tree, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how Australia's unique mammals evolved. Published in the Journal of Paleontology, ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Pixels preserve world's rarest porpoise to 3D digital archive as extinction risk grows

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), an elusive porpoise found only in the shallow waters of Mexico's northern Gulf of California, is one of the rarest and most endangered marine mammals on Earth. Measuring about 5 feet (1.5 meters) ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Predators on the move may link the evolution of species thousands of kilometers apart

Can a snake in Thailand influence the evolution of a snake in the Philippines even if the two species never cross paths? According to a new study, the answer may be yes. The research suggests that migratory predators can ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Reforestation's effects on water resources may depend on global warming level

Planting trees is widely promoted as a natural solution to climate change. But a new study led by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences finds that the hydrological consequences ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Chemists reveal one-step 'alkyl swap' that rewrites key amines for drug discovery

For more than a century, chemists have been building complex molecules step by step—bond by bond, atom by atom. But what if, instead of painstakingly reassembling molecules, they could be directly "rewritten"? This is exactly ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Redefined conformity model beats averaging in five real-world tests of opinion dynamics

Imagine you poll your friends on how many minutes per pound to roast a turkey. Five respond with 15 minutes; one answers 33 minutes. The most popular model of conformity, the French-Harary-DeGroot model (or more commonly, ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Water-based nanoprinting moves metal films onto delicate 3D surfaces without damage

A new technology allows metal circuits floating on water to be transferred directly onto any desired surface. A South Korean research team has introduced a novel technique capable of transferring ultra-fine nanocircuits onto ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / ALMA makes first direct detection of star-forming gas in early galaxies

In the early universe, the first galaxies began to take shape roughly a million years after the Big Bang. Within these young systems, stars formed from vast reservoirs of cold gas, gradually building the structures we see ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Critical cellular system discovery may lead to treatment of some cancers

A molecular geneticist at Montana State University has discovered a cellular process once believed impossible by scientists—the creation of the amino acid cysteine within a living cell when the cell's primary systems for ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / PACE satellite tracks fall colors with near-daily global coverage

Researchers have developed a new approach using data from NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite to observe the timing and progression of fall colors across landscapes.

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists improve nearly every aspect of prime editing, moving it closer to treating more genetic diseases

Prime editing can potentially repair the vast majority of known disease-causing human mutations, but the technology, first developed in 2019, has not yet been widely used in the body, or in vivo, to treat genetic disease. ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Wind patterns play surprising role in tropical rainfall trends

Changes in wind patterns play the leading role in influencing often devastating tropical rainfall changes, rather than simply the warming atmosphere holding more moisture, according to new research.

Jun 15, 2026