Elk treponeme-associated hoof disease, previously thought to be limited to deformations in elks’ hooves, appears to create molecular changes throughout the animal’s system, according to epigenetic research from Washington State University. The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also suggest those changes may be heritable. It remains to be seen though whether this means subsequent […]
Human communities across the globe have a long history of generating effective solutions to climate change, and many of these often-little-known cultural adaptations could prove useful today. That’s according to a new special issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, edited by Washington State University anthropologist Anne Pisor. The special issue brings together a […]
The bright lights of big cities could be causing an evolutionary adaptation for smaller eyes in some birds, a new study indicates. Researchers found that two common songbirds, the Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren, that live year-round in the urban core of San Antonio, Texas, had eyes about 5% smaller than members of the same […]
Washington State University will soon be preparing graduate students to tackle a difficult, interdisciplinary problem that is more than 1,200 miles long: the Columbia River. With the support of a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, WSU will develop a research training program focused on the relationships among rivers, watersheds, and communities. The […]
You can take a fish out of toxic water, but its epigenetic mutations will remain for at least two generations. A research team led by Washington State University scientists analyzed the epigenetics—molecular factors and processes that determine whether genes are turned on or off—of a group of Poecilia mexicana fish, or Atlantic molly, that live […]
The WSU Nuclear Science Center, in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry and the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, will acquire a new high-resolution X-ray spectrometer to perform both X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy. The high-resolution X-ray spectrometer will benefit analytical chemistry and materials science research at WSU by providing the means to perform […]
As instances of online identity theft continue to rise over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, WSU criminologist Alex Kigerl is helping to shed light on the shady world of cybercriminals and how it operates. A backstabbing crime boss and thousands of people looking for free tutorials on hacking and identity theft were among the […]
When it comes to the great civilizations of human history, the pen really might have been mightier than the sword. “There’s a fundamental relationship that exists between the way in which societies process information and how large they are able to become,” said Tim Kohler, WSU an archaeologist and a corresponding author of an international […]
Maria Gartstein found herself in an unfamiliar position when she reached the level of associate professor in 2008. “I was unsure of what to do next,” Gartstein said. “I always had a pretty good sense of what it would take to get tenure but once I got it I realized I hadn’t really thought beyond […]
A report by scientists with WSU’s State of Washington Water Research Center could help inform decision makers and planners in watersheds across the state, as they develop projects that balance growth with the needs of threatened salmon and steelhead. “Our guidance highlights available approaches that can benefit endangered species and their habitat, as well as […]