ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

Our DNA is very similar to that of the chimpanzee, which in evolutionary terms is our closest living relative. Stem cell researchers have now found a previously overlooked part of our DNA, so-called non-coded DNA, that appears to contribute to a difference which, despite all our similarities, may explain why our brains work differently.

A team researchers looked at the Pacific Northwest portion of the Dungeness crab fishery, which spans from Alaska down to Southern California. They determined which life stages are most vulnerable, and to which stressors.

In a study of crayfish in the Current River in southeastern Missouri, researchers discovered -- almost by chance -- that the virile crayfish, Faxonius virilis, was interbreeding with a native crayfish, potentially altering the native's genetics, life history and ecology.

New research shows sweet corn, when planted at high densities, has steadily increased in yield since the 1930s. The historical view underscores the importance of planting modern density-tolerant hybrids at their optimal densities, and suggests an opportunity to improve density tolerance even more.