Researchers have discovered a new species of tiny sea slug named Thecacera sesama in Keelung, Taiwan, which measures less than three millimeters long and lives on aquatic invertebrates called bryozoans. Published in the journal ZooKeys, the discovery highlights the vast number of minute marine species that likely remain hidden due to the region's harsh and highly restricted diving conditions.

When evaluating the health of native, wild snakes in the southeastern US, some species emerged as particularly sickly, a new study showed. Pygmy rattlesnakes – historically persecuted by humans – were found to be particularly affected by disease caused by fungi and parasites. The study also showed that other factors such as location and simultaneous infections can influence snake health, too. The team said this broad overview of native snakes’ health could help prevent pathogen spillover between native and invasive as well as free-living and captive snakes.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that the rat brain differs from other mammals in the proportion of upper and deep layer neurons in the cortex. This change likely arises from differences in the timing of signaling pathways during early brain development. Importantly, this identified mechanism may have future applications in regenerative medicine for developmental and neurological disorders.

Kyoto, Japan -- Almost all animal species -- including humans -- have blood cells, but between different species our blood tells different stories. The lineage and components of blood cells vary widely, and this variety is a testament to how animals have evolved to protect themselves from infectious diseases.

Thanks to advances in hematology and immunology, we now have detailed knowledge of the components and functions of both human and mouse blood cells. However, their evolutionary history has remained largely unknown. This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to investigate when and how blood cells originated, and how they diversified.

The team began by developing a new analytic method to compare gene expression profiles across various cell lineages and animal species. With this they were able to construct phylogenetic trees of cell lineages and estimate the evolutionary history of these lineages in animals. They also included unicellular organisms in their comparison in order to trace the origin of blood cells back to possible single-celled ancestors.

Early-onset intervertebral disc degeneration is partly driven by cellular senescence, yet effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. Researchers report that the senolytic combination dasatinib and quercetin reduces senescence markers, inflammatory signaling, and degenerative tissue changes in a genetic mouse model of disc disease. In contrast, navitoclax shows no benefit. The study identifies JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) signaling as a key pathway underlying disease progression and therapeutic response, highlighting a potential strategy for slowing spinal disc degeneration.

When the loss of a queen wasp triggers a power struggle and social turmoil, colonies can survive the upheaval thanks to helpful wasps that pick up the slack, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.