How nasty Toxoplasma parasite damages the human eye
An international study used human retinal cells to demonstrate how the Toxoplasma parasite creates a characteristic eye lesion that can help doctors diagnose the infection.
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Immune response against Toxocara roundworms helps explain disease
Neurotoxocarosis (NT) occurs in humans when larvae of the Toxocara roundworm migrate into the central nervous system. That infection is accompanied by a complex molecular signaling cascade, including changes to anti-inflammatory lipid molecules, researchers now report.
Read moreThe dark giraffe, the new dark horse
Darker male giraffes have been found to be more solitary and less social than their lighter-colored counterparts, according to new research. A long-term study revealed that the color of male giraffes' spots more strongly relates to their patterns of social association, rather than their age, as previously thought.
Read moreWhat wolves' broken teeth reveal about their lives
An evolutionary biologist has spent more than three decades studying the skulls of many species of large carnivores — including wolves, lions and tigers — that lived from 50,000 years ago to the present. She reports today the answer to a puzzling question.
Read moreCats are securely bonded to their people, too
Cats have a reputation for being aloof and independent. But a study of the way domestic cats respond to their caregivers suggests that their socio-cognitive abilities and the depth of their human attachments have been underestimated. The findings show that, much like children and dogs, pet cats form secure and insecure bonds with their human caretakers.
Read moreMicrobes make chemicals for scent marking in a cat
Domestic cats, like many other mammals, use smelly secretions from anal sacs to mark territory and communicate with other animals. A new study shows that many odiferous compounds from a male cat are actually made not by the cat, but by a community of bacteria living in the anal sacs.
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