A DNA virus that infects marine algae carries a working gene for a tandem potassium channel, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding points to giant viruses as active players in the structural evolution of cellular proteins.
Letizia Giugliano
A 75,000-year-old Neanderthal skeleton discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan carries what may be the oldest fossil evidence of fatal violence inflicted by a wooden spear. Excavated beneath almost eight metres of rock and sediment, the left shoulder blade of the individual known as Shanidar A preserves a clean circular puncture directed through the chest. The finding, reported in Scientific Reports, suggests that early hominins used pointed wooden projectiles not only for hunting large game but also in deadly interpersonal conflict.
Giovanni Sapere
Researchers from Egypt and the United States have identified a new species of ancient ape from lower jaw fossils recovered at Wadi Moghra in northern Egypt. The specimens, dated to between 17 and 18 million years ago, represent the first definitive fossil ape discovered in North Africa. Published on March 26, 2026, in Science, the discovery indicates that the ancestors of modern apes and humans may have emerged along North Africa and the Middle East instead of East Africa.
Giovanni Sapere
A 150-million-year-old fossil uncovered in southeastern China represents the earliest known instance of a bird lineage losing the ability to fly. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Fujian Institute of Geological Sciences identified the crow-sized species, Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, in the Late Jurassic Zhenghe Fauna. The discovery reveals an unexpected evolutionary innovation, showing that early avians adapted to terrestrial ecological niches rather than progressing solely toward powered flight.
Giovanni Sapere
Researchers from the University of Nottingham and Tohoku University have identified the specific genetic mechanism determining whether snail shells coil to the left or to the right. The biological discovery links structural variations in the motor protein myosin to early embryonic cell twisting in wild Japanese snails. Published in October 2026, the findings explain how organisms establish fundamental left-right asymmetry without congenital developmental defects.
Letizia Giugliano
What if AI could evolve like a living organism? What if it could create real molecules, test them and improve them on its own, in just a few days? It’s not science fiction, it’s PROTEUS!In the increasingly crowded landscape of artificial intelligence, this new player stands out for its approach and…
Lucio Del Priore
