Nothing Like Oxygen For That Evolutionary Boost

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Nothing Like Oxygen For That Evolutionary Boost
Paul Falkowski says that from an evolutionary point of view, the absence of dinosaurs has been a very good thing for large placental mammals – less competition and fewer nasty predators. But it is not the only reason large mammals, including humans, evolved: A sharp rise in the Earth’s atmospheric oxygen, about 15 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, gave mammals the evolutionary boost they needed to survive, thrive and, finally, dominate the planet, according to Falkowski, professor of geological and marine science, and lead author of a study published Sept. 30 in the journal Science.


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Scientists search for answers from the carbon in the clouds

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
An aerosol mass spectrometer developed by chemists from Aerodyne Research Inc. and Boston College is giving scientists who study airborne particles the technology they need to examine the life cycles of atmospheric ...

'Green' potato health risk can be eliminated by cutting away affected area

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Potatoes that have turned 'green' can potentially contain a naturally occurring toxin called Glycoalkaloids (GA) and pose a risk to public health according to a review paper published in the latest online issue of SCI's Journal ...

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(AP) -- The plant has been described by local residents as magical, its qualities almost mythical. The native herb yerba mansa, translated from Spanish as the "calming herb," has been used medicinally for ...

Population policy needed for the UK in order to combat climate change

5 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
The biggest contribution UK couples can make to combating climate change would be to have only two children or at least have one less than they first intended, argues an editorial published on BMJ.com today.

Zoo will reopen exhibit where 16 stingrays died

7 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- A zoo in suburban Chicago plans to reopen an exhibit where 16 stingrays died last week when a malfunction let the tank's water get too warm.
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