Hidden in genetics: The evolutionary relationships of two groups of ancient invertebrates revealed
Kamptozoa and Bryozoa are two phyla of small aquatic invertebrates. They are related to snails and clams (collectively called mollusks), bristleworms, earthworms, and leeches (collectively called annelids), and ribbon worms (nemertea). But their precise position on the tree of life, and how closely related they are to these other animals, has always puzzled evolutionary biologists. […]
Social Isolation Tied to Higher Risk of Subsequent Dementia
Social isolation was linked with lower volume in brain areas related to cognition and associated with a higher risk of subsequent dementia as well, a longitudinal study showed. Among more than 460,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank, social isolation at age 57 was tied to a 26% increased risk of dementia 12 years later, independent […]
Draft Genome Sequence of Latest Monkeypox Virus Unveiled
The latest monkeypox virus now popping up in multiple countries appears most closely related to a strain that circulated in 2018-2019, according to a draft genome sequence of a recent case. Sequencing of a skin lesion sample from an infected male patient in Portugal — where at least 20 confirmed cases have been reported — […]