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Alcoholic fruit may help plants recruit mammals to spread their seeds

19 July 2023

Measurements of alcohol levels in fruits collected in a Costa Rican forest reveal that those eaten by mammals contain higher levels of alcohol

Men and women's hands can be distinguished just from their scent

5 July 2023

Scent compounds released by your hands can be used to determine gender, which may be useful in figuring out information about crime scenes

Stone tools in Filipino cave were used to make ropes 40,000 years ago

30 June 2023

Marks on stone tools found in the Tabon Caves on Palawan island in the Philippines suggest they were used for processing plant fibres, allowing the creation of ropes, baskets and other items

Ape family tree suggests human ancestors weren’t particularly violent

30 June 2023

An evolutionary analysis of behavioural traits across primate species may shed light on the question of whether humans are violent by nature

Exposing C-section babies to vaginal fluid boosts their development

15 June 2023

Transferring a mother's vaginal fluid to a baby born by Caesarean section was linked to their development being more advanced at 6 months

Dehorning may affect how rhinos interact and establish territory

13 June 2023

Black rhinos are commonly dehorned to prevent poaching, but monitoring data suggests the practice may have an impact on their social interactions

Zebrafish produce sunscreen to protect their embryos from UV light

12 June 2023

Zebrafish eggs contain a compound called gadusol that acts as a sunscreen to protect the developing embryos from the sun’s rays

Male masturbation in primates evolved to cut chance of catching STIs

7 June 2023

Masturbation in male primates seems to have evolved to boost reproductive success and cut the chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection, but the picture isn’t so clear for females

Ovarian cancer test could detect disease earlier than current methods

3 June 2023

A test based on seven chemicals found in uterine fluid outperformed the leading tool for diagnosing early-stage ovarian cancer – a disease that is usually spotted late and is frequently deadly

Plague first came to Britain from Europe at least 4000 years ago

30 May 2023

DNA from Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that caused the Black Death, has been found in the teeth of three people who lived in Britain during the Bronze Age