
Alzheimer's Origins Tied to Rise of Human Intelligence
Factors that drove the evolution of our intellectual capacity are also implicated in the memory disorder

Alzheimer's Origins Tied to Rise of Human Intelligence
Factors that drove the evolution of our intellectual capacity are also implicated in the memory disorder

A Multitude of Microscopic Wonders Discovered in the World's Oceans [Slide Show]
The four-year study took thousands of samples at hundreds of sites


Dog Domestication Much Older than Previously Known
Genetic information from a 35,000-year-old wolf bone found below a frozen cliff in Siberia is shedding new light on humankind's long relationship with dogs

Octopus Skin Senses Light, No Eyes or Brain Needed
The skin of a California octopus species has a molecular light-sensing mechanism that allows it to change color to match its surroundings with no input from the creature's eyes or brain. Dina Fine Maron reports

Animals Don't Use Facebook but They Have Social Networks, Too
Lee Dugatkin, evolutionary biologist and behavioral ecologist at the University of Louisville, talks about his article in the June Scientific American called "The Networked Animal," about how social networks in disparate animals species affect the lives of the entire group and its individual members. His co-author is Matthew Hasenjager, a doctoral candidate in his lab

Seashell Shapes Show Strength for Safety
Analysis of clamshell and screw-shaped shells reveals the structures withstand much greater forces than would a simple sphere or cylinder. Cynthia Graber reports

First Warm-Blooded Fish Discovered
The opah's warm blood allows it to swim faster at depths nearing 400 meters

The Richest Reef: A Bagful of New Species
Divers on a research expedition to the Philippines' Coral Triangle uncover a trove marine biodiversity

Feathered Dinosaurs on Post-its
Sometimes, the pathway to a new idea becoming universally accepted requires a steady stream of little nudges, small pebbles thrown into the lake.

Pop Music Gets Its Fossil Record Analyzed
An investigation of more than 17,000 hit tunes suggests popular music undergoes periods of shifting diversity, and that new styles evolve in bursts. Christopher Intagliata reports

A Five-Minute Taste of Deep Sea Exploration
NOAA’s research ship Okeanos Explorer and its ROV Deep Discoverer (aka D2) wrapped up their latest exploration of the seafloor and marine canyons around Puerto Rico last week.

Yi qi Is Neat but Might Not Have Been the Black Screaming Dino-Dragon of Death
A couple of weeks ago I hatched a plan to write about all the neat new dinosaur-themed studies that had just appeared in print; I began by penning my thoughts on the Brontosaurus issue.