Mammoths Survived Cold with “Antifreeze Blood”
by Robert Quigley | 10:03 am, May 4th
According to a study recently published in Nature Genetics, scientists may have just figured out one of the adaptations by which now-extinct mammoths survived extremely cold temperatures during the Ice Age: so-called “antifreeze blood.” More specifically (BBC level of specificity): “a genetic adaptation allowing their haemoglobin to release oxygen into the body even at low temperatures.” Even more specifically (Nature Genetics level of specificity): “We identify amino acid substitutions with large phenotypic effect on the chimeric β/δ-globin subunit of mammoth hemoglobin that provide a unique solution to this problem and thereby minimize energetically costly heat loss.” Fun!
Read on...
James Plafke 
Max 
Eric Limer 
Rollin Bishop 
There is a Beer That Tastes Like Bacon and Maple Syrup
The 65 Best Planking Pictures From Around the World
Philosoraptor’s 50 Wisest Musings
11 Fantastic Photos and Videos of Yesterday’s Annular Eclipse
Here’s How to Get to Diablo III’s Brightly Colored Secret Level “Whimsyshire”
RSS