Who’s your granddaddy? Triceratops may finally have the answer
Last month, scientists reported finding one of Triceratops’ “granddaddies.” Nicholas Longrich, a paleontologist at Yale, has discovered what he believes to be the common ancestor of Triceratops and Torosaurus after analyzing a skeleton of what was once believed to be a member of Pentaceratops, a species common to the area.
The newly discovered species is called Titanoceratops (from the Greek myth of the Titans). Weighing 15,000 pounds with an eight-foot-long skull, it’s no wonder that Triceratops has trickled down through time to be one of the most beloved of the horned dinosaurs.
The 74-million-year-old species looks very similar to Triceratops, except it has a “thinner [neck] frill, longer nose, and slightly bigger horns.” Longrich and other paleontologists are currently on the hunt for more fossilized skeletons with intact frills, that will narrow the differences between Titanoceratops and Pentaceratops. — Bianca Lemus Lavarreda
Source: Yale University
Renal renaissance
Scientists are closer to understanding how vertebrates other than mammals are able to regenerate their kidney cells, which could eventually lead to treatments against kidney disease in humans.
Researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the University of Pittsburgh identified a progenitor cell in adult zebrafish that can generate new cells when transplanted into the kidney of another fish. Progenitor cells are similar to stem cells in that they can differentiate into specific types of cells. However, progenitor cells are more advanced in their development, and therefore are already more specific. What’s more, they can only divide a limited number of times.
Zebrafish and other non-mammalian vertebrates create new nephrons throughout their life, which helps recovery from renal injury. Humans lose this ability before birth, after 36 weeks of gestation.
Kidney disease is increasingly prevalent in North America. Estimates are that up to 10 percent of the US population has some form of the disease. Patients with advanced renal disease require hemodialysis, with a five-year survival rate of 33 per cent.
The study, published in the February 3 issue of Nature, proposes further study of the progenitor cell to see if its effects can eventually be recreated in humans. — Amy Ward
Source: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Scientists seek out genes for complex social structures
Eusocial insects — such as ants, bees, termites, and aphids — are characterized by the way they divide labour among individuals and cooperate in caring for their young.
Scientists have recently sequenced the genomes of the Argentine ant and the red harvester ant, publishing their results in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These genomes provide insight into the genetic basis of ant communication and the division of labour within the ant colony.
In both genomes, researchers found more genes associated with the production and detection of chemical signals, such as smell and taste, compared to other insects. What’s more, in both genomes, epigenetic modifications — heritable features not originally encoded in the DNA sequence — were significant, and may influence the role an ant takes on within the colony.
More genomic data from other species is needed for researchers to begin identifying common genetic features of eusocial insects, and to model how these features evolve. — Anastassia Pogoutse
