Ancient Patagonian rodent DNA provides clues to the evolution of social behavior

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The colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis) has so little genetic diversity that it should have disappeared long ago. Yet the hearty creature has not only managed to survive for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the Argentine highlands it h ...
The colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis) has so little genetic diversity that it should have disappeared long ago. Yet the hearty creature has not only managed to survive for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the Argentine highlands, it has evolved a complex social structure that's unique among the more than 50 closely related tuco-tuco species. Courtesy of Yvonne Chan

A rare Patagonian rodent known as the colonial tuco-tuco fascinates biologists because it seems to defy all odds. This threatened species has so little genetic diversity that the slightest whiff of climate change or disease should have wiped it off the face of the earth long ago.


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All News summaries for April 26, 2006

Study explores plausibility of bulbs and tubers in the diet of early human ancestors

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(PhysOrg.com) -- It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Anthropologist Nathaniel J. Dominy of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has advanced the investigation of the diet of early human ancestors ...

Wealth Does Not Dictate Concern for the Environment

1 hour ago | User rating: not rated yet
It has been a long-held assumption that poor nations will not support efforts to protect the environment since their citizens are too preoccupied with meeting basic needs, such as food and housing. However, a new study in ...

Construction workers unearth mammoth bones in Minsk

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Workers building a business centre in Minsk came across the bones of two mammoths thought to be between 25,000 and 45,000 years old, an official from Belarus' Academy of Sciences told AFP on Friday.

Women's access to credit affects efficiency in rural households

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Rural strategies designed to induce economic growth often emphasize the need to improve access to capital for poor households. However, this approach implicitly assumes that family members pool all their resources and allocate ...

Colonial heritage metaphors used in US military conflicts

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The historical reference to "Indian Country" presents a complex metaphor. For many Native Americans it signifies home, family, and territory; however, for others the term can refer to colonialism and Native American land ...
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