My picks from ScienceDaily

Vegetables, Not Fruit, Help Fight Memory Problems In Old Age:

Eating vegetables, not fruit, helps slow down the rate of cognitive change in older adults, according to a study published in the Oct. 24, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology

Honey Bee Genome Holds Clues To Social Behavior:

By studying the humble honey bee, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have come a step closer to understanding the molecular basis of social behavior in humans.

More links a couple of posts below.

Sunflower Speciation Highlights Roles For Transposable Elements In Evolution:

In a finding that furthers our understanding of how hybridization may contribute to genome changes and the evolution of new species, researchers have found that the genomes of three sunflower species that arose in evolution as hybrids of the same two parental types have undergone a massive proliferation of genetic entities known as transposable elements.

New Imaging Technique Discovers Differences In Brains Of People With Autism:

Using a new form of brain imaging known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), researchers in the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that the so-called white matter in the brains of people with autism has lower structural integrity than in the brains of normal individuals. This provides further evidence that the anatomical differences characterizing the brains of people with autism are related to the way those brains process information.

'Fruit Fly Dating Game' Provides Clues To Our Reproductive Prowess:

Queen's University researchers have discovered that seeking out the most attractive mate may be unhealthy for any offspring. Using a "virtual fruit fly dating game", Biology professor Adam Chippindale and graduate student Alison Pischedda have found that mating with a "fit" partner actually leads to dramatically lower rates of reproductive success in the next generation.

Tiny 'Housekeeper' Crabs Help Prevent Coral Death In South Pacific:

Tiny crabs that live in South Pacific coral help to prevent the coral from dying by providing regular cleaning "services" that may be critical to the life of coral reefs around the world, according to scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Evidence Of Gut Parasite Found In Dinosaur:

University of Colorado at Boulder researchers have discovered what appears to be the first evidence of parasites in the gut contents of a dinosaur, indicating even the giants that roamed Earth 75 million years ago were beset by stomach worms.

Steep Oxygen Decline Halted First Land Colonization By Earth's Sea Creatures:

New research suggests a multimillion year gap in the colonization of Earth's land by marine creatures might have been caused by a sharp drop in atmospheric oxygen.

Study Suggests Evolutionary Link Between Diet, Brain Size In Orangutans:

In a study of orangutans living on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, scientists from Duke University and the University of Zurich have found what they say is the first demonstration in primates of an evolutionary connection between available food supplies and brain size.

Diversity Promotes Cooperation Among Microbes:

Understanding how cooperation evolves and is maintained represents one of evolutionary biology's thorniest problems. New research using the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens has identified a novel mechanism that thwarts the evolution of cheats and broadens our understanding of how cooperation might be maintained in nature and human societies.

Scientists Find A Key To Immune System's Ability To Remember:

An international team of scientists has ferreted out an important clue to how the key cells of the immune system are able to remember old foes and quickly mount a response to hold them at bay.

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