A first-of-its-kind developmental brain atlas from the Stowers Institute maps both gene activity and the DNA switches controlling it across 232,251 cells, revealing that neuronal identity is rapidly established after birth rather than simply inherited from a parent stem cell.

A University of Washington-led research team has discovered the best-preserved fossil feathers from the Mesozoic era — in fossilized dinosaur poop. Some of these feathers have features that look like modern birds’ feathers. This finding can help researchers better understand why and how some birds survived the catastrophic event 66 million years ago that killed 75% of life on the planet.

As sea levels rise, coastal wetlands around the world are expected to shrink – and researchers at the University of British Columbia have found this could put the world’s shorebirds and their critical habitat at risk.

About 66 million years ago, a dinosaur—maybe a T. rex or a Nanotyrannus—ate a bird. The record of that meal, in the form of fossilized poop, has survived to today, preserving the best example of a feather ever found from the age of dinosaurs. And by studying this feather, researchers have found clues that help explain why birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived the mass extinction 66 million years ago.

True to its name, the spider-tailed horned viper has a fake spider at the end of its tail, which it uses to lure in birds to eat. In this study, scientists took the closest-ever look at this snake's bizarre tail, using X-ray computed tomography. By peering inside the snake's tail, they learned that the bones inside its tail are... strangely normal-- all the weird stuff is on the outside. Which means that for paleontologists studying fossils, there could be a lot of unusual features in prehistoric snakes that no one knows about.

The unexplained results could enhance future efforts to study out-of-body experiences, researchers say.

Brain tumors develop within an organ that changes substantially with age. A new review in Ageing and Cancer Research & Treatment examines evidence that the aging brain microenvironment may influence brain tumor progression, treatment resistance, and cognitive outcomes.

BUFFALO, NY — September 10, 2026 — A new research paper was published in Volume 18 of Aging on August 24, 2026, titled “Disruption of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life.”