Daily non-political popular news in brief.

Reconstructing the biology of extinct species: A new approach

Scientists now have a new way to reconstruct how extinct species moved -- that is completely independent of analyses of limb structure -- as a result of the first large-scale study of the relationship between modes of locomotion and the dimensions of an important part of the organ of balance. The study used high-resolution CT scans plus field observations to study 91 primate species and 119 additional species ranging in size from mouse to elephant.

Read more »

Keywords: reconstructing, biology, extinct, species, approach, specy

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "Reconstructing the biology of extinct species: A new approach":

1. A case of mistaken identity for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker?
   03-14-2007 · EurekAlert!
   Video evidence that an extinct woodpecker is alive and well in Arkansas, USA may prove to be a case of mistaken identity. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Biology shows how fleeting images thought to be the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Campephilus principalis could be another native woodpecker species.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
2. Some forest birds can survive in agricultural countryside with limited habitat conservation
   05-24-2007 · EurekAlert!
   Some tropical forest birds can survive alongside humans if given a helping hand, according to a recent study by Cagan H. Sekercioglu, senior scientist at the Stanford University Center for Conservation Biology.The results, published in the April 2007 issue of the journal Conservation Biology, could influence the way countries approach endangered species protection in agricultural areas.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
3. Systems Biology poised to revolutionize the understanding of cell function and disease
   09-07-2007 · EurekAlert!
   Systems Biology is transforming the way scientists think about biology and disease. This novel approach to research could prompt a shake up in medical science and it might ultimately allow clinicians to predict and treat complex diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, cancer and metabolic syndrome for which there are currently no cures.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
4. Unlike humans, chimpanzees don't go through menopause
   12-13-2007 · EurekAlert!
   Researchers have found no evidence that chimpanzees in the wild undergo menopause in the way that women do, according to a new report published online on Dec. 13 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. That's despite the fact that reproduction tends to peter out at a similar age in both species.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
5. Paleontologists discover most primitive primate skeleton
   01-23-2007 · EurekAlert!
   The earliest branches of primate evolution are more ancient by 10 million years than previous studies estimated, according to an article featured in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers reconstructed the base of the primate family tree by comparing skeletal and fossil specimens representing more than 85 modern and extinct species. The team also discovered two 56-million-year-old fossils, including the most primitive primate skeleton ever described.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
6. Hair untangles woolly mammoth puzzle
   09-27-2007 · EurekAlert!
   New research reveals that hair shafts provide an ideal source of ancient DNA -- a better source than bones and muscle for studying the genome sequences of extinct animals. The researchers' efficient methods yielded entire mitochondrial genomes from 10 woolly mammoths -- more such genomes of extinct animals than previously had been published. The research opens the door to obtaining mitochondrial genome sequences from other extinct species and to understanding how species of large mammals can go extinct.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
7. Machine learning could speed up radiation therapy for cancer patients
   02-07-2007 · EurekAlert!
   A new computer-based technique could eliminate hours of manual adjustment associated with a popular cancer treatment. In a paper published in the February 7 issue of Physics in Medicine and Biology, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center describe an approach that has the potential to automatically determine acceptable radiation plans in a matter of minutes, without compromising the quality of treatment.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
8. Lemurs' fur color may not define species
   11-15-2006 · EurekAlert!
   Different coat color might not correspond to different species for nocturnal lemurs. In a study published today in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology, researchers find that lemurs that appeared to belong to different species because they have strikingly different coat colors, are in fact genetically related and belong to the same species.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
9. A first glimpse of the influenza replication machine
   02-26-2007 · EurekAlert!
   Specific mutations in a viral protein, the polymerase, contribute to the ability of the bird influenza virus to jump the species barrier to humans. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble and Heidelberg, the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) and the Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions (UVHCI)*, both in Grenoble, have now produced the first 3-D image of part of this key protein.
   Similar news · Read more »
   
10. Deep-sea species' loss could lead to oceans' collapse, study suggests
    12-27-2007 · EurekAlert!
    The loss of deep-sea species poses a severe threat to the future of the oceans, suggests a new report publishing early online on Dec. 27 and in the Jan. 8 issue of Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press.
    Similar news · Read more »