How dinosaur research can help medicine

The intervertebral discs connect the vertebrae and give the spine its mobility. The disc consists of a cartilaginous fibrous ring and a gelatinous core as a buffer. It has always been assumed that only humans and other mammals ...

Oldest axial fossils discovered for the genus Australopithecus

Scientists have published an article describing the oldest axial fossils yet discovered for the genus Australopithecus. Dated 4.2 million years ago, these and other fossils recovered from the Assa Issie site in the Middle ...

Unraveling the genetics of disc disease in dogs

Since the early 1900s, veterinarians have observed intervertebral disc disease—a common cause of back pain, rear limb paralysis and inability to walk—more frequently in dogs with short legs (dachshund, French bulldog, ...