New Atlas

Biology Audio available

Forgotten Kenyan fossils reveal ancient mega-carnivore

Loz Blain April 23, 2019

After sitting in a drawer in a Kenyan museum for more than 40 years, a set of fossilized bones has introduced the world to a long-lost mega-carnivore from 22 million years ago. Bigger than a polar bear and possessing enormous canine teeth, meet Simbakubwa Kutokaafrika.

A recreation of what Simbakubwa Kutokaafrika may have looked like in the wild

Biology

Waterborne DNA provides a picture of coral reef health

Ben Coxworth April 18, 2019

In these times of coral reef die-offs, it's vitally important to monitor the abundance and variety of corals on the reefs that remain. This is currently performed visually by scuba divers, but there may soon be a quicker, cheaper and easier method – just check the water for coral DNA.

By searching seawater samples for DNA, scientists can tell how many living corals are present on ...

Biology Audio available

Brain function partially restored in pigs – four hours after death

Michael Irving April 17, 2019

In a breakthrough study, researchers have managed to restore some brain function in pigs, including synaptic activity, as long as 4 hours after death. They used a system that pumps preserving chemicals through the brain’s circulatory system, but of course the finding raises some ethical questions.

Researchers have managed to restore some brain function in pigs as long as four hours after ...

Biology Audio available

CRISPR breakthrough uses "hairpin lock" for more precise genetic engineering

Michael Irving April 16, 2019

The CRISPR gene-editing system is incredibly accurate, but it’s not unusual for it to be a little bit off target sometimes. Now, biomedical engineers at Duke University have created an RNA “lock” that can apparently make the system far more precise, and it works with all kinds of CRISPR variations.

The new hairpin lock – blue section at the top left – folds back on itself ...

Biology Audio available

NASA's twin study shows how space travel affects genes, cognition, aging and gut microbiome

Michael Irving April 11, 2019

NASA has conducted a comprehensive study comparing the genes and biology of identical twins Scott and Mark Kelly, after Scott spent almost a year in space while Mark stayed on Earth as a control. And now the results of that study have finally been released.

For NASA's comprehensive study on space travel's effects on human health, astronaut Scott Kelly (right) spent ...

Biology Audio available

Severe flu could cause taste buds to grow in your lungs

Michael Irving April 2, 2019

In extreme cases the flu virus can actually reshape the structure of the lungs. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a major part of that restructuring that until now had gone unnoticed – “taste bud cells” seem to grow in the lungs after a severe case of the flu.

Biology Audio available

Scientists witness lizard lay eggs and give live birth in same litter

Michael Irving April 2, 2019

Normally, animals reproduce by either laying eggs or giving birth to live young, but an Australian species of lizard can apparently do both in the same pregnancy. Scientists witnessed a three-toed skink lay three eggs before giving birth to a live baby, which has never been observed before.

Scientists have witnessed a female three-toed skink laying eggs and giving live birth in the same ...

Biology Audio available

First computer-generated genome could lead to custom synthetic lifeforms

Michael Irving April 1, 2019

Scientists have created the first fully computer-generated genome of a living organism. Named Caulobacter ethensis-2.0, it was built by simplifying the natural code of Caulobacter crescentus. The team says this is a huge step towards creating completely synthetic life and medicinal DNA molecules.

Scientists have created the first computer-generated genome of a living organism

Biology

Great white sharks are able to tolerate the negative effects of heavy metals

Anthony Wood April 1, 2019

The blood of great white sharks found in the waters off the coast of South Africa has been found to contain quantities of heavy metals that would be dangerously toxic to other forms of marine life, according to a newly published study.

The blood used in the study was drawn from 43 great white sharks that were captured ...

Biology Audio available

Fossil site is first ever to show deaths from mass extinction asteroid impact

David Szondy March 31, 2019

An international team has found a massive collection of fossils of fish and other animals in North Dakota that were killed by a seismic sea wave and a shower of burning glass beads less than an hour after the asteroid strike 66 million years ago off the shore of what is now Yucatan.

A meteor impact 66 million years ago generated a tsunami-like wave in an inland sea that ...