What do monkeys, infants, and autistic children have in common? The lack of proper communication means with us. A research team at Columbia University, New York, USA, has set up a test involving a touch-screen video game, designed to assess the cognitive faculties of rhesus macaques. They found that non-human primates are able to reflect on their thoughts and to assess their own performance. But – more importantly – the success of the test indicates that it can be used to study further the cognitive abilities of human subjects whose communication skills are either under-developed or pathologically impaired, namely babies and autism sufferers.

Source: Science Blog

Just when we thought us humans were the “crème-de-la-crème” of evolution, new research indicates that chimps have undergone more selective mutations than Homosapiens since they parted from their common ancestor some 6 million years ago. Judging from the behavior of certain people, these results aren’t at all surprising!

It is time to stop thinking we are the pinnacle of evolutionary success – chimpanzees are the more highly evolved species, according to new research.

Source: New Scientist

Would you like to know how long it takes an African elephant to produce your weight in poop? Did you know that termites use their own feces to glue their houses together? Can you recognize an animal from its dung?

If you’re interested in looking deeper into the world of animal dejections – including ours! – the traveling exhibition Scoop On Poop! has just left Miami to settle at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia until next month. Based on Canadian science writer Wayne Lynch’s book of the same name, the exhibition uses 15 interactive stations to show visitors how scientists use fecal matter to study animal biology, how animals use their poop to built their homes or evade predators, and what can be done about the growing problem of human waste.

You’ll be amazed to discover what different animals and insects do with what us humans consider an “unmentionable topic.” If you think that this world is full of s**t, this is the ideal opportunity to learn more about this “fascinating” subject!

Source: The Scientist

The collagen extracted from a 68-million-year-old T. rex femur (thigh bone) has been sequenced for the first time. The fragment sequences were compared to collagen of modern species, and found to match that of chickens, newts and frogs.

The real breakthrough, however, does not reside in the establishment of a relation between this ancient terrifying monster and our modern harmless egg-producers, but in the recovery of extremely old proteins. Most fossils do not normally contain such molecules, as they are degraded if the remnants are not buried deep enough. The search for more of this type of protein-containing fossils will expand in the hope to find more clues as to the relationship between dinosaurs and modern species.

Researchers recovered protein from inside a massive T. rex leg bone buried for 68 million years, and sequenced seven fragments that identify it as collagen, the most abundant protein in bone.

Source: New Scientist