Origin of world's oldest transmissible cancer in dogs

By dr. dolittle on January 29, 2014.

Scientists have identified the origin of a genome for a specific type of transmissible cancer that has spread between dogs beginning 11,000 years ago!

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We're moving!!!!

October 30, 2017

You may be wondering why I have been so sentimental even though the year is not over yet. I am happy to inform you that it is not because I am retiring. On the contrary, I am packing up my virtual bags and moving this blog to a new site! Pardon the dust while we get settled into our new digs.

#1: Is there an evolutionary advantage to "being stupid"?

October 30, 2017

And the #1 blog entry published thus far in 2017 discussed whether there was an evolutionary advantage to being stupid: ---- As I was looking through the scientific literature the other day, I came across an article published in 1973, "The Evolutionary Advantages of Being Stupid." With a title like…

#2: A Truly Extraordinary Octopus

October 25, 2017

Who could forget the second most popular blog post so far this year. Seeing an octopus walk never gets old! ------- I came across this amazing video on YouTube showing a species of octopus found in Northern Australia that is adapted to walk on land:

#3: Zebra Finches Reward Themselves for singing well

October 23, 2017

The #3 post so far this year explored how zebra finches reward themselves for singing well: Dopamine is an important hormone released from neurons involved in reward pathways. Researchers at Cornell University wanted to know if dopamine signaling was involved in how birds learn songs. Their…

#4: Komodo Dragons have antibacterial blood

October 19, 2017

Here is the 4th most popular post so far this year: Picture of a komodo dragon by CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Researchers studying komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) at George Mason University discovered 48 previously unknown peptides in their blood that might have antimicrobial…