House Cat Hisstory Traced to 5 Mideast Matriarchs

(NEWSER) - Unlike most animals who were domesticated by man, cats, you cat owners will not be surprised to learn, domesticated themselves. A study published in Science concludes that some 12,000 years ago cats, attracted by mice, who were themselves attracted by grain which man had just figured out how to cultivate, decided to settle down with us. More»

Female hammerheads can fertilize their own eggs, say scientists

(NEWSER) - Irish and American scientists, using new techniques, confirmed that a female hammerhead shark at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska gave birth to a pup in 2001— without having sex. A male tiger shark was suspected to be the father at first, but the team's genetic analysis shows no sign of paternal DNA. More»

Ubiquitous cat hair a valuable forensic tool

(NEWSER) - Dog is man's best friend, but cats can fight crime. Thanks to their tendency to groom and shed, household cats carpet a home—and anyone who sets foot in it—with DNA evidence. Kitty forensics have already led to one murder conviction after hair from a victim's cat was found on the killer's jacket. "Cat fur obtained from a crime scene has the potential to link perpetrators, accomplices, witnesses and victims," says an expert. More»

Ethicists object to creating human-animal hybrid

(NEWSER) - Animal organ transplants in humans are now a step closer to reality: Scientists have successfully combined animal lungs with human blood, keeping a pig lung alive and functioning as the blood flowed through it. “The blood went into the lungs without oxygen and came out with oxygen, which is the exact function of the lungs," a researcher tells the Daily Telegraph . The first pig-human transplant could happen within five years. More»

Nin charmed visitors, staff for 12 years

(NEWSER) - Mount Washington’s mascot of 12 years died last week at 19 or possibly 20, the Boston Globe reports. Nin the cat “brought a little piece of home” to the New Hampshire mountain’s observatory, says its executive director. He wasn’t much bothered by the site’s vicious weather, occupying himself by following researchers and meeting tourists. Nin retired in 2007, moving to a lower altitude. More»