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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Fossil saved from mule track revolutionizes understanding of ancient dolphin-like marine reptile

Posted: 14 May 2013 06:31 PM PDT

Scientists have revealed a new species of ichthyosaur (a dolphin-like marine reptile from the age of dinosaurs) from Iraq, which revolutionizes our understanding of the evolution and extinction of these ancient marine reptiles.

Mum and dad dinosaurs shared the work

Posted: 14 May 2013 06:31 PM PDT

A study into the brooding behavior of birds has revealed their dinosaur ancestors shared the load when it came to incubation of eggs.

Passenger car drivers are more likely to die in crashes with SUVs, regardless of crash ratings

Posted: 14 May 2013 10:54 AM PDT

Most consumers who are shopping for a new car depend on good crash safety ratings as an indicator of how well the car will perform in a crash. But a new study of crashes involving cars and sport utility vehicles has found those crash ratings are a lot less relevant than vehicle type.

Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:28 AM PDT

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world's oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers.

Scientists uncover fundamental property of astatine -- rarest naturally occurring element on Earth

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:27 AM PDT

Scientists have carried out ground-breaking experiments to investigate the atomic structure of astatine (atomic number 85), the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth. Through experiments conducted at the radioactive isotope facility ISOLDE at CERN, scientists have accessed, for the first time, the ionization potential of the astatine atom. The successful measurement fills a long-standing gap in Mendeleev's periodic table, since astatine was the last element present in nature for which this fundamental property was unknown.

From ocean to land: The fishy origins of our hips

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:15 AM PDT

New research has revealed that the evolution of the complex, weight-bearing hips of walking animals from the basic hips of fish was a much simpler process than previously thought.

Flu in pregnancy may quadruple child's risk for bipolar disorder

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:14 AM PDT

Flu in pregnant mothers has been linked to a nearly fourfold increased risk that their child might develop bipolar disorder in adulthood. The findings add to mounting evidence of possible shared underlying causes and illness processes with schizophrenia, which some studies have also linked to prenatal exposure to influenza.

Alligator stem cell study gives clues to tooth regeneration

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:14 AM PDT

Alligators may help scientists learn how to stimulate tooth regeneration in people, according to new research. For the first time, a global team of researchers has uncovered unique cellular and molecular mechanisms behind tooth renewal in American alligators.

Water governs cell movement: Aquaporins play key role, new research finds

Posted: 14 May 2013 05:53 AM PDT

Water gives life. Researchers now show how the cells in our bodies are driven mainly by water power -- a discovery that in the long run opens the way for a new strategy in cancer therapy.

Sulfate aerosols cool climate less than assumed

Posted: 14 May 2013 05:53 AM PDT

Life span of cloud-forming sulfate particles in the air is shorter than assumed due to a sulfur dioxide oxidation pathway which has been neglected in climate models so far.

First X-class solar flares of 2013

Posted: 14 May 2013 05:37 AM PDT

On May 13, 2013, the sun emitted an X2.8-class flare, peaking at 12:05 p.m. EDT. This is the the strongest X-class flare of 2013 so far, surpassing in strength the X1.7-class flare that occurred 14 hours earlier. It is the 16th X-class flare of the current solar cycle and the third-largest flare of that cycle. The second-strongest was an X5.4 event on March 7, 2012. The strongest was an X6.9 on Aug. 9, 2011.

Productivity increases with species diversity, just as Darwin predicted

Posted: 13 May 2013 12:28 PM PDT

Environments containing species that are distantly related to one another are more productive than those containing closely related species, according to new research.

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