Science Advances

A common ancestral cell that diverges into two lineages of bacteria and archaea in a hydrothermal environment

All known life shares a single origin – but the independent cell may have been born twice

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Reconstruction of about 420 metabolic reactions suggests that the common ancestor of bacteria and archaea still relied on metals in its environment. According to the researchers, the two lineages separately evolved the enzymes that allowed them to exist as independent cells
A combination of climate cycles exacerbated drought during the collapse of Bronze Age civilizations

A combination of climate cycles exacerbated drought during the collapse of Bronze Age civilizations

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A model that reconstructed the Mediterranean climate over 8,000 years suggests a combination of a long-term drying trend and fluctuations in the Atlantic Ocean and atmosphere. The researchers emphasize that drought was not necessarily the cause
Iron-rich rock in the Lake Mead area in the USA. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Israeli research offers a solution to the mystery of life's directionality

New research from the Weizmann Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem offers a solution to a 150-year-old mystery: why the molecules of life chose one orientation. The researchers found that chiral molecules that appear as mirror images respond differently when
A major ocean current system in the Atlantic Ocean, which helps regulate the Earth's climate, has been weakening for nearly 20 years. Credit: NOAA

A central Atlantic current has been weakening for almost 20 years, and the impact on weather could be global

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New study presents direct observational evidence of a weakening of part of the Atlantic overturning current system. Researchers warn of possible impacts on European winters, rainfall, storms and sea level rise
The figure illustrates how changes in genetic control lead to changes in the shape and structure of animals during evolution. The upper part shows larvae of two species of Drosophila: Drosophila melanogaster (left), which has dense rows of tiny hairs, and Drosophila sechellia, which has lost many of these hairs during evolution. These differences arise from changes in the expression of the shavenbaby gene during the embryonic stage (center of the figure). The lower part shows the control region of the shavenbaby gene, which includes a large number of control sequences called enhancers, which are important for ensuring stable expression of the gene. In D. sechellia, four of the enhancers have lost their activity, each through a different molecular mechanism – deletion of essential sequences, loss of binding sites for transcription factors, acquisition of repressive activity, and even exposure of previously existing repression. As a result, gene expression decreases and the tiny hairs disappear.

The stability paradox: How does the shape of creatures change throughout evolution?

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Researchers from the Technion have discovered how changes in genetic control sequences can lead to changes in body structure, even when the gene control systems are stable and resistant to change.
Combining quantum computing and artificial intelligence enables more accurate and efficient prediction of complex and chaotic systems. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Quantum computing upgrades artificial intelligence in predicting chaotic systems

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New hybrid method achieves 20% higher accuracy and requires fewer resources, using a quantum computer in the training phase of AI models
Neanderthal display at the Vienna Natural History Museum. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Neanderthals may have already carried the genetic basis for complex language

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Researchers at the University of Iowa have found that rare regulatory sequences in DNA, which strongly influence language abilities, appeared even before the split between modern humans and Neanderthals.
A wide plaza and open avenues in the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan, a society where humans had a greater voice. Photo: Linda Nichols, Field Museum.

New study: Democracy has deep roots around the world — not just in Greece and Rome

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An analysis of 31 ancient societies found that collaborative, inclusive governance was far more common than previously thought, and that the key was not the size of the society but the way rulers financed their power.
Red-eared slider turtle – water turtle. Credit: Tel Aviv University

The turtle brain detects visual surprises regardless of location in the eye, an ability previously attributed to mammals

Tel Aviv University study: Neural recordings in alert turtles showed that the dorsal cortex responds strongly to unexpected changes in the environment even when the turtle moves its head or eyes, and almost completely filters out changes caused by movement.
Infographic explaining the "Schrodinger's Cat" thought experiment. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Schrödinger's cat is heating up: A revolution in the concept of temperature in quantum physics

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Scientists have succeeded in producing quantum superposition states even at high temperatures, breaking the myth that only cold allows quantum phenomena to exist.
Machu Picchu. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Who lives in Machu Picchu? DNA analysis shows surprising diversity in the ancient Inca palace

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People from all over the empire that ruled South America until the arrival of the Spanish came to the temple at Machu Picchu for a kind of life dedicated to the Inca religion
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