Jewel beetle (Melanophila acuminata). photo: AG Prof. Schmitz , University Bonn, Germany)

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New measurements on skulls show that the extinct sabre-toothed cats had much less biting force than modern cats. Instead their skulls had evolved for efficient predation with a high gape angle.

Palaeontologists can derive surprisingly many details about the life history and behaviour of extinct animals based solely on the morphology of their skeleton. In a new study published in PLoS One, the Danish scientist Per Christiansen from the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen investigated predatory behaviour in the extinct sabretoohed cats.

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In industrialized countries macular degeneration is the most common cause for blindness in age related loss of vision. Scientists from Great Britain and Germany now showed that the age related macular degeneration is due to a hyperactivity of the immune system in advanced years. Inherited disfunction of the immune system can be the cause. In Germany approximately 4.5 million patients suffer from macular degeneration disabling them in the long term to manage their daily lives.

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The International Congress of Psychology starts today in Berlin from 20th July until 25th July 2008.

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Two small bluestreak cleaner wrasses cleaning a potato cod at a cleaning stations. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (taken by Richard Ling).

The fields of evolutionary ecology/behaviour and economics use more and more of each others methodology. Many animal interactions and economical transactions can be described with the same mathematical models. A research team comprising biologists from universities in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Canada has found further similarities in a study of the behaviour of the bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) in its response to competition and clients.

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Treatment with the new drug leads to a decline in plaques in treated mice (Figure: Richard Dodel)

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A new study has shown that experienced tennis players have a superior ability to determine the speed, direction and time to impact of moving objects compared to non-athletes. This finding could result in computer-based training sessions that could give us even better tennis players in the future.

We all know that doing sports is good exercise, because we reduce our fat stores and instead increase our muscle mass. However, for top athletes this is not the only physiological improvements that occur during training. Extensive training over many years improves also the mental and cognitive abilities of the athlete so that he or she is better able to perform the tasks necessary to excel in the discipline. This is why that if you want to become a professional in almost any sport you need to start training at a young age. In a study published in PLoS One, Swiss researchers from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne have investigated the visual perception skills of tennis players.

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