ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Nemo can travel great distances to connect populations: Baby clownfish travel hundreds of kilometers across open ocean
• Nature of war: Chimps inherently violent; Study disproves theory that 'chimpanzee wars' are sparked by human influence
• New explanation for origin of plate tectonics: What set Earth's plates in motion?
• New branch added to European family tree: Europeans descended from at least 3, not 2, groups of ancient humans
• Certain gut bacteria may induce metabolic changes following exposure to artificial sweeteners
• Smallest known galaxy with a supermassive black hole
• Smart teens rub off on teammates, study shows
• Counting fish teeth reveals regulatory DNA changes behind rapid evolution, adaptation
• First blood test to diagnose depression in adults
• Effect of ocean acidification: Coral growth rate on Great Barrier Reef plummets in 30-year comparison
• Global change: Trees in Central Europe continue to grow at a faster rate, long-term study finds
• Recruiting bacteria as technology innovation partners: New self-healing materials and bioprocessing technologies
• Violent origins of disc galaxies: Why Milky Way-like galaxies are so common in the universe
• Waistlines of U.S. adults continue to increase

Nemo can travel great distances to connect populations: Baby clownfish travel hundreds of kilometers across open ocean Posted: 17 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT Clownfish spend their entire lives nestling in the protective tentacles of host anemones, but new research shows that as babies they sometimes travel hundreds of kilometres across the open ocean. Although the process of long-distance dispersal by reef fish has been predicted, this is the first time that the high level exchange of offspring between distant populations has been observed.

Nature of war: Chimps inherently violent; Study disproves theory that 'chimpanzee wars' are sparked by human influence Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:18 AM PDT Of all of the world's species, humans and chimpanzees are some of the only species to coordinate attacks on their own members. Since Jane Goodall introduced lethal inter-community killings, primatologists have debated the concept of warfare in this genus. New research from an international coalition of ape researchers has shed new light on the subject, suggesting that human encroachment and interference is not, as previous researchers have claimed, an influential predictor of chimp-on-chimp aggression.

New explanation for origin of plate tectonics: What set Earth's plates in motion? Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:18 AM PDT Geologists have a new explanation for the origin of plate tectonics. Researchers suggest it was triggered by the spreading of early continents then it eventually became a self-sustaining process.

New branch added to European family tree: Europeans descended from at least 3, not 2, groups of ancient humans Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:18 AM PDT Previous work suggested that Europeans descended from two ancestral groups: indigenous hunter-gatherers and early European farmers. This new study shows that there was also a third ancestral group, the Ancient North Eurasians, who contributed genetic material to almost all present-day Europeans. The research also reveals an even older lineage, the Basal Eurasians.

Certain gut bacteria may induce metabolic changes following exposure to artificial sweeteners Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Artificial sweeteners have long been promoted as diet and health aids. But breaking research shows that these products may be leading to the very diseases they were said to help prevent: scientists have discovered that, after exposure to artificial sweeteners, our gut bacteria may be triggering harmful metabolic changes.

Smallest known galaxy with a supermassive black hole Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered that an ultracompact dwarf galaxy harbors a supermassive black hole – the smallest galaxy known to contain such a massive light-sucking object. The finding suggests huge black holes may be more common than previously believed.

Smart teens rub off on teammates, study shows Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Having smart teammates can double a high school student's odds of going to college, research shows, and the type of or club does not appear to matter. Participating in more than one extra-curricular activity didn't bring bigger benefits, the researchers add.

Counting fish teeth reveals regulatory DNA changes behind rapid evolution, adaptation Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Threespine sticklebacks, small fish found around the globe, undergo rapid evolutionary change when they move from the ocean to freshwater lakes, losing their armor and gaining more teeth in as little as 10 years. A biologist shows that this rapid change results not from mutations in functional genes, but changes in regulatory DNA. He pinpoints a gene that could be responsible for teeth, bone or jaw deformities in humans, including cleft palate.

First blood test to diagnose depression in adults Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT The first blood test to diagnose major depression in adults has been developed, providing the first objective, scientific diagnosis for depression. The test also predicts who will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, offering the opportunity for more effective, individualized therapy. The test also showed the biological effects of the therapy, the first measurable, blood-based evidence of the therapy's success and showed who is vulnerable to recurring episodes of depression.

Effect of ocean acidification: Coral growth rate on Great Barrier Reef plummets in 30-year comparison Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Researchers working in Australia's Great Barrier Reef have documented that coral growth rates have plummeted 40 percent since the mid-1970s. The scientists suggest that ocean acidification may be playing an important role in this perilous slowdown.

Global change: Trees in Central Europe continue to grow at a faster rate, long-term study finds Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:29 AM PDT Trees in Central Europe have been growing significantly faster since the 1960s. The typical development phases of trees and stands have barely changed, but they have accelerated -- by as much as 70 percent. This was the outcome of a study based on long-term data from experimental forest plots that have been continuously observed since 1870.

Recruiting bacteria as technology innovation partners: New self-healing materials and bioprocessing technologies Posted: 17 Sep 2014 04:32 AM PDT For most people biofilms conjure up images of slippery stones in a streambed and dirty drains. While there are plenty of 'bad' biofilms around, a team of scientists see biofilms as a robust new platform for designer nanomaterials that could clean up polluted rivers, manufacture pharmaceutical products, fabricate new textiles, and more.

Violent origins of disc galaxies: Why Milky Way-like galaxies are so common in the universe Posted: 17 Sep 2014 04:31 AM PDT For decades scientists have believed that galaxy mergers usually result in the formation of elliptical galaxies. Now, for the the first time, researchers have found direct evidence that merging galaxies can instead form disc galaxies, and that this outcome is in fact quite common. This surprising result could explain why there are so many spiral galaxies like the Milky Way in the Universe.

Waistlines of U.S. adults continue to increase Posted: 16 Sep 2014 01:24 PM PDT The prevalence of abdominal obesity and average waist circumference increased among U.S. adults from 1999 to 2012, according to a study. Waist circumference is a simple measure of total and intra-abdominal body fat. Although the prevalence of abdominal obesity has increased in the United States through 2008, its trend in recent years has not been known.

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