Evidence hidden in the chromosomes of plants and animals suggest that only one group, the mammals, has experienced a shortening of their genomes after the extinction of the dinosaurs. What’s more, a team of scientists from Indiana University in Bloomington notes that this trend continues today.

The study results seem to defy common sense, since in the past 65 million years mammals have expanded in number and diversity, not to mention his mastery in a wide variety of ecological areas. But it is precisely this success in numbers that might have caused the contraction of their genomes. (more…)

A team of scientists has discovered that a higher electrical conductivity in certain parts of the Earth’s mantle may indicate the presence of water far below the surface of our planet. These researchers have created the first comprehensive three-dimensional map of electrical conductivity in the mantle.

The high conductivity areas coincide with subduction zones or places where tectonic plates are pushed beneath the other.

The authors of the study from State University of Oregon used electromagnetic induction survey of Earth’s mantle. This method is very sensitive to the areas of interconnection of bags of fluids in rocks and minerals. (more…)