EUREKA!

[ NEW FINDINGS AND RESEARCH ]

Sea of Plastic? Melting ice releases debris.

>>> A team led by engineering professor Rachel Obbard found extremely high concentrations of plastic fragments frozen in samples of Arctic Sea ice. Given current rates of ice melt triggered by global warming, researchers estimate up to 7 trillion particles of microplastic could be released into the ocean, posing a major health risk to marine species that ingest the debris.

Good Genes Mutation enables high life.

>>> low levels of hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen through the body, lead to increased fertility and child survival rates in high-altitude populations, according to anthropology professor Sienna Craig. During fieldwork research among Tibetan women in Nepal, Craig assisted colleagues in tracing family histories and collecting samples of saliva for DNA analysis. Their data link reproductive success at high elevations to a genetic variation that regulates red blood cell production.

Cryptic Primate New tarsier discovered.

>>> an international team of scien- tists, including biological anthropol- ogy professor Nathaniel Dominy, has confirmed the existence of a genetically distinct species of tarsier on the Philippine island of Dinagat. The nocturnal primate is roughly the size of a human hand and possesses an extraordinary sense of hearing, reports Dominy. Researchers hope the discovery will promote conservation efforts in the region.