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Danforth Plant Science Center Co-Authors Study Rewriting Early History of Grasses

Danforth Plant Science Center Co-Authors Study Rewriting Early History of Grasses

An international team of scientists, including Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Member Emerita Elizabeth “Toby” Kellogg, PhD, has published a study in Nature Communications that provides a new understanding of the earliest evolution of grasses. The research involved producing a chromosome-level genome assembly of *Streptochaeta spicata*, a tropical grass whose lineage branched off near the base of the grass family tree. This pivotal position offers researchers an exceptionally clear view into the genome of the common ancestor of all living grasses. Grasses are the world's most economically important plant family, encompassing major food crops like rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, barley, and sugarcane. By comparing the *Streptochaeta* genome with others across the grass family, the team uncovered new evidence about ancient genetic events that shaped all living grasses, offering a clearer picture of their evolution and diversification. Dr. Kellogg noted that all grasses bear the footprint of a time when the...

Rare Pacific Mastodon Tooth Discovered in San Mateo County Preserve

Rare Pacific Mastodon Tooth Discovered in San Mateo County Preserve

A remarkably well-preserved molar from an adult Pacific mastodon, estimated to be 10,000 years old, was discovered in a creek bed within a San Mateo County open space preserve. Brigid Lynch, a geomorphologist with Balance Hydrologics, found the fossil during a survey for a project supporting threatened California red-legged frogs. Initially appearing as an unusually shaped rock, paleontologists later identified it as an intact mastodon molar. This discovery is considered the most complete and spectacular mastodon molar found in the area. Pacific mastodons, distinct from American mastodons, were large herbivores that roamed California and other parts of the western United States and Mexico during the Pleistocene epoch, which ended approximately 11,700 years ago. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has donated the fossil to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability for further research, including carbon dating to determine its exact age and the creation of a 3D scan for educational purpo...

Stanford Study Reveals Extensive Cellular Reprogramming in Acorn Worm Metamorphosis

Stanford Study Reveals Extensive Cellular Reprogramming in Acorn Worm Metamorphosis

A recent study led by Stanford University researchers has uncovered that the metamorphosis of the acorn worm, *Schizocardium californicum*, involves extensive cellular reprogramming. Unlike previous theories suggesting cell death and replacement or cells maintaining their original function, this research indicates that most larval cells are reprogrammed to take on new roles in the adult organism. For instance, larval neurons were found to become more similar to larval gut cells than to adult neurons. This phenomenon, where cells drastically change their function during normal development, was observed in over half of the cells analyzed. The study, published in *Nature Communications*, utilized single-cell RNA sequencing on over 87,000 cells from five developmental stages of the acorn worm, categorizing them into 12 classes. Researchers also used a persistent dye to track larval cells, confirming their persistence into adulthood despite significant functional changes. This finding challenges the long-held b...

115-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil Discovered in Deep Drill Core in China

115-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil Discovered in Deep Drill Core in China

Scientists have identified the first dinosaur fossil from a remote western section of the Bayan Gobi Formation in China’s Inner Mongolia. The specimen, cataloged as 208GPV01, was unexpectedly recovered from a drill core at a depth of 473 meters (1,500 feet) near Guaizihu in the Yin’gen-Ejinaqi Basin during a copper mineral survey. Dating back approximately 115 million years to the Early Cretaceous epoch, the fossil primarily consists of proximal tail vertebrae along with several associated elements, including a sacral rib, four caudal vertebral centra, six caudal neural arches, several transverse processes, and ossified tendons. Researchers, including Dr. Lida Xing from the China University of Geosciences, determined that the specimen belongs to Ornithischia, a group of plant-eating, bird-hipped dinosaurs. While its vertebral proportions most closely resemble those of Psittacosaurus, the limited material prevents assignment to a specific genus or species, classifying it as an indeterminate ornithischian fo...

The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Michael Pelton, who led groundbreaking bear research in Smokies, has died

Michael Pelton, who led groundbreaking bear research in Smokies, has died

Michael Pelton was a University of Tennessee professor whose research was foundational to our modern understanding of black bears.

Traditional Japanese Igusa Mats Linked to Increased Focus and Reduced Anxiety in Study

Traditional Japanese Igusa Mats Linked to Increased Focus and Reduced Anxiety in Study

Traditional Japanese Igusa Mats Linked to Increased Focus and Reduced Anxiety in Study

Arizona Republic

Why Arizona is one of the best states in America for butterflies

Why Arizona is one of the best states in America for butterflies

Arizona's most colorful insects are butterflies. The ultimate guide, from when they're most active and why they seem to always follow you around.

Corteva Agriscience Expands Research and Development with New Biosafety Lab Outside U.S.

Corteva Agriscience Expands Research and Development with New Biosafety Lab Outside U.S.

Corteva Agriscience Expands Research and Development with New Biosafety Lab Outside U.S.

New Fossils in China Reveal Insights into Denisovan Life and Tool Use

New Fossils in China Reveal Insights into Denisovan Life and Tool Use

A newly discovered cave in southwestern China, Bianfu Cave, has yielded a significant collection of Denisovan fossils, offering unprecedented insights into this enigmatic human species. Researchers have identified fragments belonging to at least three Denisovans who lived between 167,000 and 134,000 years ago. These remains, which include four teeth, two skull pieces, and an arm bone fragment, were found alongside over 1,300 tools and 1,600 identifiable animal remains. Protein analysis and high-quality X-ray scans confirmed the Denisovan identity of the fossils, with the teeth showing distinct similarities to other known Denisovan remains from Laos and Tibet. The presence of a Denisovan-specific collagen variant further solidified the identification. The tools, dating between 190,000 and 70,000 years old, suggest that Denisovans were the sole occupants of the cave during that period and were responsible for their creation. These tools were primarily used for processing animal remains, such as breaking bone...

Utah Bone Fragment Reveals High Cesium Levels, Prompting New Nuclear Test Harm Research

Utah Bone Fragment Reveals High Cesium Levels, Prompting New Nuclear Test Harm Research

A bone fragment from Bonnie Despain, who died at 81 from ALS, was found to contain an extraordinary level of radioactive cesium. This discovery was made by Salt Lake City visual artist Cara Despain, her daughter, who sent the sample for testing to Aaron Specht, a Purdue University professor specializing in radiation safety. Bonnie Despain spent her childhood in Newcastle, Utah, approximately 130 miles from the Nevada Test Site, where the U.S. conducted 100 aboveground nuclear tests in the postwar years. Individuals exposed to the fallout from these tests are known as 'downwinders.' The high cesium level, a byproduct of nuclear fission and highly toxic, has prompted a new study by the University of Utah. This research aims to investigate the long-term effects of radiation exposure and its potential links to health conditions beyond the commonly recognized cancers.

Mosquitoes Exhibit Preferences for Certain Individuals Based on Biological and Lifestyle Factors

Mosquitoes Exhibit Preferences for Certain Individuals Based on Biological and Lifestyle Factors

Mosquitoes are not indiscriminate in their biting habits; certain biological and lifestyle factors make some individuals more attractive to these insects than others. A study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology indicated that mosquitoes landed on people with Type O blood nearly twice as often as those with Type A blood, suggesting that secretions indicating blood type play a role. Jonathan F. Day, an entomology professor at the University of Florida, notes that carbon dioxide (CO2) production is a primary cue, with individuals having higher metabolic rates, due to genetics or other factors, emitting more CO2 and thus being more attractive. Secondary cues, such as lactic acid released through the skin during exercise, also signal to mosquitoes that a person is a viable target. Additionally, mosquitoes use visual cues, preferring dark clothing that contrasts with the horizon, and tactile cues like body heat, with those running warmer being more prone to bites. Lifestyle choices, including alcohol ...

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spreads in Nelson Mandela Bay, Posing Risk to Dairy Farms

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spreads in Nelson Mandela Bay, Posing Risk to Dairy Farms

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has spread to Walmer Township in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, with the state veterinary service confirming 14 active cases within the city. This development has prompted calls for strict restrictions on uncontrolled animal movements. Lungile Jali, deputy director of the state veterinary service in Nelson Mandela Bay, stated that livestock vaccination and movement controls are the primary response measures. Vaccination programs were conducted in the Rocklands area and are planned for the Langa area in Kariega. Weekly coordination meetings involving city officials, the agriculture department, the South African Police Service livestock theft unit, and Agri Eastern Cape are being held as part of the Eastern Cape Province Joint Operational Committee on FMD. The initial outbreak saw positive cases in Bushy Park, KwaNobuhle, Lady Slipper, Motherwell, and Rocklands, with a sixth case recorded in Thornhill, outside the city. The exact origin and duration of the disease's presence i...