A new study just published in Evolution: Education and Outreach suggests that contemporary Australian university students give far more credit than the previous generation to the science of human evolution and far less credit to creationism or divine guidance.
With the increasing average age of many populations, the growing number of older drivers can be cause for safety concern. Dr. Qian (Chayn) Sun and colleagues analyzed driving behavior using an interdisciplinary approach, and concluded that an individual’s ability to drive depends on much more than their age. The study was published in the European Transport Research Review.
It is well known that mutations in the BRCA1 gene is implicated in breast and ovarian cancer and that these mutations can be inherited. This study examines is whether epigenetic changes to this gene, and the less understood MGMT gene, can be passed from mother to daughter.
Merle coat patterns, prevalent in breeds like Dachshunds, Great Danes, and Collies, can vary greatly. In this blog, researchers from Clemson University examined how these coat pattern varieties differ on the genetic level.
A recent study using a mouse model was able to show that physical signs of aging, such as hair loss and wrinkled skin, may be reversed by restoring mitochondrial DNA levels. This study is likely to result in a lot of further research, and the implications for human health down the road are exciting to consider.
Amongst the many characteristics of the fascinating naked mole-rat is an exceptionally long lifespan in relation to body size, making it an outlier among mammals together with humans. Two recent studies published in BMC Biology address the questions of how naked mole-rats can live so long and maintain an exceptional reproductive capability, and if naked mole-rats actually do show any sign of aging. Lead authors of those studies, Martin Bens and Alessandro Ori, explain their findings.