Ancient domesticated dog skull found in Siberian cave: 33,000 years old (Mon, 23 Jan 2012)
A 33,000-year-old dog skull unearthed in a Siberian mountain cave presents some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication and indicates that modern dogs may be descended from multiple ancestors, with advancing glaciers thwarting early domestication efforts.
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Gene therapy cures retinitis pigmentosa in dogs (Mon, 23 Jan 2012)
Scientists have shown that they can prevent, or even reverse, a blinding retinal disease, X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa, or XLRP, in dogs. The disease in humans and dogs is caused by defects in the RPGR gene and results in early, severe and progressive vision loss. It is one of the most common inherited forms of retinal degeneration in man.
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Love of a dog or cat helps women cope with HIV/AIDS (Mon, 23 Jan 2012)
A spoonful of medicine goes down a lot easier if there is a dog or cat around. Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study.
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How the 'street pigeon' got its fancy on (Thu, 19 Jan 2012)
Pigeons come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some have feathers reaching up over their heads like a hood. Others have feathers all the way to the tips of their toes or fanned out on their tails like tiny turkeys. Now, researchers have traced the birds' family tree in an effort to sort out how all that remarkable variation came to be.
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