Stems cells have always been pretty amazing.
- New research indicates animals' oldest ancestor was not sponges' single-celled choanocyte bacteria as previously thought.
- It appears our earliest predecessors were something like modern stem cells.
- Our lineage just lost its founding member. The search for our true first predecessor is on!
In response to devastating hurricanes, Dominican anoles have developed a grip that's 10 times stronger. Are we witnessing evolution in real time?
- After Hurricane Maria, anole species on the island of Dominica developed super strong grips.
- This development may be one of the fasted rates of evolutionary change ever recorded.
- Climate change will likely to result in more intense hurricanes, but not all species will adapt so quickly.
- Asian elephants often leave protected areas to feed and come into conflict with humans.
- The elephants, it turns out, can recognize the largest quantities of food by smell.
- This insight could lead to keeping Asian elephants out of harm's way via redirection using olfactory cues.
The owner's personality was the most important factor in examining the stress-hormone relationship between pet and owner.
- A new study found that dogs and their owners show similar levels of the stress hormone cortisol over time.
- The dog-owner cortisol relationship seems to be related to the owner's personality, as measured by the Big 5 model.
- Ultimately, dog owners needn't worry that they're stressing out their pet; not all cortisol indicates "bad" stress."
Is it time we outlaw circus animals altogether?
- The German performance group Circus Roncalli has been phasing out animals for decades.
- Now, the circus uses a set of laser projectors and sophisticated lenses to produce a hologram show displayed in a traditional circus ring.
- Internationally, it seems there's a trend toward phasing out the rather cruel practice of forcing circus animals to perform.
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