A team of international scientists has discovered new fossils at a field site in Africa that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted at the same place in Africa at the same time — between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago. The paleoanthropologists discovered a new species of Australopithecus that has never been found anywhere.  

UNLV anthropologist leads international research team find of Ethiopian fossils; details published in Aug. 13 issue of Nature journal.

An international study has revealed that tiny planktonic crustaceans carry a unique microbial signature that better reflects ocean currents and environmental gradients than microbes found freely in seawater. As surface oceans become warmer and more nutrient-depleted, these host-associated microbes, especially those adapted to oligotrophic conditions as in the Mediterranean Sea, may offer early warning signs about the health of marine ecosystems.

A team of researchers at the University of Missouri is on a mission to better understand which immune cells in pigs are most responsive to an influenza infection.

For decades, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research has focused on its visible villains—amyloid plaques and tau tangles. But beneath the surface, another player may be quietly steering the disease’s course: lipid metabolism. Lipids, the essential substances that build and fuel the brain, are proving to be powerful influencers of disease progression. When their balance falters, harmful proteins accumulate, synapses weaken, and inflammation spreads. This new review pulls together cutting-edge findings that link genetic risk factors, like APOE4, to disrupted cholesterol transport, faulty fat storage, and poor lipid clearance—unveiling a hidden layer of AD biology and pointing toward untapped therapeutic strategies.

Researchers have spent years taking apart one of the world’s simplest microbes, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, piece by piece, and created a detailed list of what molecular parts the living cell can and cannot do without, knowledge that could accelerate the development of “living medicines” built from this very microbe. Their efforts have revealed how much real estate engineers have to edit and repurpose the bacterium for therapeutic purposes, for example to combat antibiotic resistance or cancer. The study, published today in Molecular Systems Biology, is the most comprehensive “essentiality map” for any living organism built to date.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have successfully measured the body temperature of cows using a non-invasive method with AI and infrared technology.