Weekly Headlines (excerpts)

1. Early ants’ antennae may have let them ‘talk’ using pheromones

100-million-year-old fossils share the sensory hairs of insects’ modern counterparts

BY SEAN CUMMINGS 14 JUN 2024 

2. App developed with Indigenous trackers helps almost anyone monitor wildlife

Cyber Tracker is now used by local communities and conservationists around the world

BY DIMITRI SELIBAS 13 JUN 2024 

3. Wild poliovirus spreads across Pakistan and Afghanistan

Wastewater detections suggest 2024 target of ending all wild virus transmission will be missed

BY LESLIE ROBERTS 13 JUN 2024 

4. Oldest malaria cases reveal how humans spread the disease across the globe

Ancient DNA suggests parasites reached the Americas through colonization

BY ANDREW CURRY 12 JUN 2024 

5. Why did the ancient Maya sacrifice children? DNA provides clues

Find links practice to “Hero Twins” myth and shows youngsters were related to today’s Indigenous Maya

BY ANDREW CURRY 12 JUN 2024 

6. Reeling from FDA setback, researchers plot the future of psychedelic-assisted medicine

Negative vote on MDMA for PTSD may hold lessons for other mental health treatments in development

BY KAI KUPFERSCHMIDT 11 JUN 2024 

7. FDA panel backs new Alzheimer’s drug, despite risks and uncertainties

Pivotal trial of Eli Lilly’s donanemab leaves questions about how to prescribe it and minimize side effects

BY JENNIFER COUZIN-FRANKEL 11 JUN 2024 

8. Astronauts face health risks—even on short trips in space

In-depth studies include first health data collected from space tourists

BY RAMIN SKIBBA 11 JUN 2024 

9. ‘A watershed moment’ for a shadow disease: first state-mandated endometriosis biorepository launches in Connecticut

Initiative aims to boost visibility, research, and treatment for the painful and poorly understood condition

BY MEREDITH WADMAN 10 JUN 2024 

10. More playful young male dolphins father more offspring

Study is first to link juvenile play behavior in the wild to reproductive benefits

BY VIRGINIA MORELL 10 JUN 2024