My picks from ScienceDaily

Generosity May Be Genetically Programmed:

Are those inclined towards generosity genetically programmed to behave that way? A team of researchers, including Dr. Ariel Knafo of the Psychology Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, believes that this could very well be the case.

Like Humans, Monkey See, Monkey Plan, Monkey Do:

How many times a day do you grab objects such as a pencil or a cup? We perform these tasks without thinking, however the motor planning necessary to grasp an object is quite complex. The way human adults grasp objects is typically influenced more by their knowledge of what they intend to do with the objects than the objects' immediate appearance. Psychologists call this the "end-state comfort effect," when we adopt initially unusual, and perhaps uncomfortable, postures to make it easier to actually use an object.

In Fruit Flies, Homosexuality Is Biological But Not Hard-wired, Study Shows:

While the biological basis for homosexuality remains a mystery, a team of neurobiologists reports they may have closed in on an answer -- by a nose.

Bacteria Employ Type Of DNA Modification Never Before Seen In Nature:

A team of MIT researchers and others has discovered that bacteria employ a type of DNA modification never before seen in nature.

'Smart' Flower Bulbs Pull Themselves To Deeper Ground:

Confused about the right planting depth for flower bulbs? Trust the bulbs! Researchers have discovered that some flower bulbs are actually "smart" enough to adjust themselves to the right planting depth. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science proved that bulbs can adjust their planting position by moving deeper into the ground, apparently in search of moister, more conducive growing conditions.

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tags: evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, biochemistry, biophysics, magnetoreception, photoreceptor, cryptochromes, geomagnetic fields, butterflies, Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus, birds, migration, signal transduction, researchblogging.org,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper…
Brain's 'Hate Circuit' Identified: People who view pictures of someone they hate display activity in distinct areas of the brain that, together, may be thought of as a 'hate circuit', according to new research by scientists at UCL (University College London). Soybeans No Longer 'A Musical Fruit…
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Groups And Grumps: Study Identifies 'Sociality' Neurons: A University of California, San Diego study has for the first time identified brain cells that influence whether birds of a feather will, or will not, flock together. The research demonstrates that vasotocin neurons in the medial extended…