Science & Environment
Ancient DNA reveals rare genetic condition behind a 1,600-year-old infant's single eye socket
Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories · Published
Cyclopia is the most severe form of a rare birth condition in which the developing brain fails to divide into two separate halves. This can also affect facial development, sometimes leaving the baby with a single eye socket in the center of the forehead and severe facial abnormal
Cyclopia is the most severe form of a rare birth condition in which the developing brain fails to divide into two separate halves. This can also affect facial development, sometimes leaving the baby with a single eye socket in the center of the forehead and severe facial abnormalities. Most babies born with this condition either die before or soon after birth.
It is so rare that it occurs in roughly 1 in 100,000 births, so finding physical evidence of it from modern times is difficult, let alone from historical ones.
Related stories
FDA warns GLP-1 drugs may pose risk of rare condition that causes vision loss
The Food and Drug Administration is warning that popular obesity drugs—including Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro—may carry a "potential increased risk" of a rare eye condition that can lead to permanent vision loss. In a drug safety communication Monday , the FDA said it
Ars Technica - All content ·
Frozen sperm enables embryo development in endangered Japanese bird for first time—but chick fails to hatch
The Okinawa rail (Hypotaenidia okinawae) is an endangered flightless bird endemic to the Yanbaru forest region of Okinawa Island in Japan. The bird has only recently begun recovering its numbers after introduced predators, such as the mongoose, and traffic accidents reduced its p
Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories ·
Overheating cattle: More and more dangerous heat is coming for northern Australia's herds
The Sunday roast and the backyard barbecue have long been Australian rituals. The country is one of the world's biggest consumers of red meat. The average Australian ate about 22 kilograms (49 pounds) of beef in 2024.
Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories ·
Excess reliance on AI could harm independent thinking in humanities education
The increasing use of content generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools in university humanities classrooms is challenging what we think of as traditional academic integrity, intellectual responsibility and the authority of teachers, according to research in the Internat
Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories ·
A double defense protects photosynthesis from extreme heat
Photosynthesis is fundamental to life on Earth, allowing plants and microalgae to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into organic compounds. However, this essential process is highly vulnerable to heat. As global temperatures rise and heat waves become more frequent, declining p
Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories ·