Killer whales have been seen detaching lengths of seaweed and using them to massage each other – the first evidence of tool-making by marine mammals.  

Scientists at EPFL have discovered that recently evolved genes play a key role in how our cells divide, revealing that even the most fundamental processes of life continue to evolve. 

Primates, birds, and elephants are all known to make tools, but examples of tool use among marine animals are much more limited. Reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 23, a team of whale experts has found widespread tool manufacture and usage in an endangered population of resident killer whales living in the Salish Sea—part of the Pacific Ocean between British Columbia and Washington. The whales fashion tools from kelp and use them for grooming purposes. 

Paleontologists from the University of Kansas have described for the first time a species of ancient near-marsupial discovered in Texas’ Big Bend National Park. Dubbed Swaindelphys solastella, the new species is much larger than similar species of Swaindelphys known from that period.

Problems with cranial base growth, which supports the skull’s structure, can lead to several chronic conditions of the face and upper airway. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain poorly understood. In a recent study, researchers from the United States use a sophisticated mouse model to understand the role of RUNX2, a master regulator protein, in cranial base growth. Their findings offer new insights into craniofacial malformations and may contribute to identifying potential therapeutic targets.