The reagents of the feedstock are never produced by processes as on the early Earth. Production requires substantial energy and controlled industrial procedures

Source

A recent study published in Protist reports that a marine microorganism reproduces in a previously unknown way: by creating new cells inside its body, then rupturing to release them.

The bizarre process is reminiscent of the reproductive horror depicted in the movie Alien, albeit on a microscopic scale.

This microbe is part of the Labyrinthulomycetes, a group of marine microorganisms that play a key role in recycling nutrients by breaking down dead plants and animals in salty environments. Beyond their ecological importance, some species in this group are valued for producing omega-3 fatty acids like DHA, which is also found in oily fish, and carotenoids, pigments used in food coloring.

This newly discovered species also contains roughly 50% protein, adding to its potential commercial value for applications such as food supplements, infant formula, and aquaculture.

An “Alien” Reproductive Strategy

“Instead of dividing into two, as we would expect, the mature cells develop a large internal chamber in which entirely new daughter cells grow,” said Professor Peter Morris, a plant biologist at Heriot-Watt University.

“Some of those daughters already have another developing generation inside them, before they are released when the mother cell breaks open,” Morris added. “So, these microbes can be pregnant grandmothers, in the same way as some species of greenfly are born already pregnant.”

The researchers named the new species Caledochytrium aldermanii, drawing from Caledonia, the Latin name for Scotland, where it was discovered in three locations. The species name also recognizes Dr. David Alderman, whose early work culturing the microbe made the study possible.

This discovery resulted from a long-term collaboration among Heriot-Watt University, its spinout company Strameno, CEFAS Weymouth, and the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling University.

Caught by Watching, Not Just Sequencing

Dr. Jane Polglase, who has spent nearly five decades studying Labyrinthulomycetes and co-founded Strameno with Alderman and Dr. Lydia Brown, helped document the microbe’s unusual reproduction. The team relied on traditional observation and description, an approach less common in today’s genomics-focused research.

“While lots of scientists now focus on the DNA of any creature, we’ve taken an old-fashioned approach, also observing the microbe’s behavior and describing its morphology fully,” Polglase said. “If we had not done that, we never would have captured this peculiar reproductive process on camera.” When the team finally caught it under an electron microscope, she said, “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”

Resourceful Marine Recyclers

Researchers found Caledochytrium in a variety of habitats, including octopus dens, on rainbow trout, and in a salt marsh along Scotland’s east coast. The researchers believe it contributes to nutrient recycling by breaking down animal and plant material.

An important part of this recycling process is the ectoplasmic net, a network of membranes the microbe creates to move around, feed, and stay buoyant. When it moves to a new surface, the microbe leaves the net behind, where marine larvae can feed on the leftover material, helping pass protein and lipids up the food chain.

What Comes Next

“Understanding how this species reproduces is key to understanding how it could be used in commercial settings, like aquaculture,” Morris said.

With this phase of research complete, the Heriot-Watt and Strameno team hopes others will continue the work. The discovery highlights how much remains to be learned about the diversity and behavior of life in the oceans.

Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a data analytics certification. His work focuses on breaking scientific developments, with an emphasis on emerging biology, cognitive neuroscience, and archaeological discoveries.

Horseshoe crabs are marine animals more closely related to spiders than crabs. These animals have existed for more than 450 million years, and are sometimes called “living fossils” because they appear to have changed very little throughout their evolutionary history. However, horseshoe crabs have a poor fossil record, so this apparent lack of change could also be due to a lack of evidence, particularly when it comes to their reproduction. Scientists want to know: Are horseshoe crabs truly living fossils?

Modern horseshoe crabs reproduce by releasing hundreds of eggs and sperm into tidal waters, via a process called external fertilization. Until now, scientists have assumed that horseshoe crabs have always reproduced this way. But paleontologists have only found 3 fossil horseshoe crabs from the past 252 million years with their reproductive systems preserved, so this assumption is mainly based on an absence of evidence to the contrary. 

Scientists in the past interpreted the horseshoe crab’s long history of external fertilization as indicative of its evolutionary consistency. However, James Lamsdell and colleagues recently discovered a new fossil species of horseshoe crab in the 450 million-year-old Big Hill Formation in Michigan that challenges this assumption. 

To study the specimen, the scientists photographed it under 2 types of microscopes. The first type of microscope used polarized light to see structures in the fossil that may have blended into the rock, like putting on special glasses to see subtle textures. The second type of microscope used fluorescent light to reveal soft tissue in the fossil. Only some tissues, like ovarian tissue and preserved eggs, glow under fluorescence, so this method helped the team rule out non-biological structures, like bubbles, cracks, or minerals. 

The researchers found that their analytical techniques revealed remarkable details about the ancient horseshoe crab. One unique feature of the fossil was the shape of its exoskeleton. The fossil’s exoskeleton had a more shovel-like appearance than that of modern horseshoe crabs, which are less elongated and more round. It was also about 11 times smaller than a modern adult horseshoe crab. 

The researchers also discovered that the fossil preserved an intricate network of ovaries containing unfertilized eggs. This ovarian network lined the interior surface of the shell in a band of interconnected tubes, preserving both unfertilized eggs and developing eggs. They noted that the fossil eggs were all about 0.1 to 0.15 millimeters in diameter, about the same width as a human hair. This size consistency suggested that all the eggs developed at the same time, via a process called synchronous development. 

Since the fossil crab’s ovarian tubes contained developing eggs, it was an adult, meaning that the earliest adult horseshoe crabs were significantly smaller and shaped differently than modern adult horseshoe crabs. Despite their differences in size and shape, the fossil horseshoe crab’s reproductive system closely mirrored its modern one, in terms of its ovarian system and synchronous development of eggs. As in previous studies, it showed no evidence of internal fertilization.

The researchers concluded that the earliest horseshoe crabs also reproduced through external fertilization. This fossil horseshoe crab is more than 215 million years older than preexisting fossils preserving evidence of external fertilization, and suggests that the horseshoe crab’s mode of reproduction has been conserved for almost half a billion years!

However, the team’s findings reveal a more nuanced evolutionary history for the horseshoe crab than previously assumed. Although they’ve maintained the same reproductive system for almost half a billion years, the size and shape of their exoskeleton have changed. This discovery reveals that different parts of the horseshoe crab evolved at different rates. It seems that horseshoe crabs are not entirely the living fossils scientists once thought… while their bodies have evolved, their reproduction has endured.

The post Are horseshoe crabs truly “living fossils”? appeared first on Sciworthy.

Capturer la naissance d'une baleine à bosse relève presque de l'impossible. Pourtant, au large de l'Australie, un photographe animalier a filmé une scène exceptionnelle qui pourrait constituer une première mondiale.

Humanity’s greatest challenge in becoming a multi-planet species may not be building bigger rockets or landing astronauts on Mars. Instead, it could come down to the question: Can humans safely conceive, carry pregnancies, and raise healthy children off Earth?

A new review published in Frontiers in Space Technologies argues that the answer to this question remains unclear. Drawing on decades of research on animal reproduction in space alongside emerging advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, synthetic biology, and cybernetic systems, the researchers suggest that future generations born off Earth may require technologies far beyond today’s medical capabilities.

In the most speculative sections of the paper, researchers even envision a scenario in which reproduction itself acts as a tool for helping humans gradually adapt to life in space.

Rather than presenting new experiments, the paper synthesizes existing evidence while outlining possible technological pathways that could someday enable permanent human settlements on the Moon, Mars, or even deeper into the solar system.

The central message is that surviving in space is only the first hurdle. Establishing self-sustaining civilizations will ultimately depend on whether human reproduction can succeed under conditions of microgravity, radiation, isolation, and other environmental stresses that evolution never prepared us to face.

“It is proposed that prenatal and early postnatal developmental stages may constitute critical biological windows for facilitating long-term adaptation to space,” researchers write. “Such interactions could ultimately transform reproduction and early development into active drivers of human evolution, contributing to the emergence of biologically distinct populations progressively adapted to diverse space environments.”

Despite more than six decades of human spaceflight, no human has ever conceived or carried a pregnancy in space. Therefore, science has little direct evidence about what would happen if astronauts attempted to start families off Earth. Nearly everything researchers know comes from studies involving animals ranging from sea urchins and fish to frogs, birds, mice, and rats.

The results are encouraging in some respects but troubling in others.

Several non-mammalian species have successfully reproduced in orbit. Medaka fish, for example, became the first vertebrates to reproduce in space, with fertilization rates comparable to those seen on Earth. Yet, even when reproduction occurs successfully, researchers have documented developmental abnormalities in some species, suggesting that space environments can slightly modify embryonic development.

Rodent studies paint an even more complicated picture. Fertilization is not impossible under microgravity, but early embryonic development frequently suffers. Experiments have shown reduced blastocyst formation, slower embryo development, lower live birth rates, and changes in gene expression. Other studies have linked space radiation to DNA damage, genomic instability, and developmental defects affecting the nervous system.

At the same time, some findings show surprising resilience. Mouse embryos cultured aboard the International Space Station have developed into apparently normal blastocysts under certain conditions. In contrast, freeze-dried mouse sperm stored in orbit for months later produced healthy offspring after returning to Earth.

These mixed findings suggest that reproduction may be biologically possible, but far from routine, under space conditions.

In their review, researchers also examined growing evidence that spaceflight affects male and female reproductive health even before conception occurs.

Microgravity and radiation appear capable of disrupting sperm production, reducing testosterone levels, altering ovarian function, impairing egg maturation, and interfering with hormone regulation.

Some studies suggest sperm can still swim under simulated microgravity, but lose their capability to navigate effectively toward an egg. Others report that radiation accelerates the depletion of ovarian follicles and increases DNA damage in reproductive cells.

More concerning is the possibility that some biological changes could be passed to future generations through epigenetic mechanisms. Experiments involving mice have suggested that spaceflight may alter gene regulation in sperm and influence gene expression in offspring, although the long-term significance is still unknown.

For women, pregnancy itself could present an even greater challenge. On Earth, pregnancy requires profound cardiovascular changes that help deliver oxygen and nutrients to a growing fetus. Microgravity, however, causes fluid redistribution, muscle loss, reduced blood volume, bone demineralization, and changes in cardiovascular function that could interfere with placental development and fetal growth. Radiation exposure, oxidative stress, circadian disruption, and limited medical support would only add to those risks.

Researchers argue that simply shielding astronauts from radiation may not be enough. Gravity itself appears to function as a biological signal that influences everything from cell organization to tissue development. That realization carries renewed interest in artificial gravity as a potential solution.

Instead of depending solely on habitats built on the Moon or Mars, future space settlements could include rotating structures that generate centrifugal force to recreate Earth-like gravity.

Such habitats have appeared in science fiction for decades, but researchers suggest they may ultimately become essential for healthy conception, pregnancy, childhood development, and multigenerational life off Earth.

Researchers propose dedicated orbital research platforms where scientists could systematically study reproduction under lunar, Martian, or custom-designed gravity levels before humans attempt permanent settlements.

Artificial intelligence also features prominently in the researchers’ vision of the future. They propose AI-powered “digital twins” capable of integrating biological, physiological, and environmental data to simulate how embryos, pregnancies, and developing children might respond to different gravitational and radiation environments. These computer simulations could help researchers examine scenarios that would be difficult, or ethically impossible, to test directly in humans.

Perhaps the paper’s most futuristic proposal is something the researchers call Synthetic Reproductive Adaptive Enhancement Technology, or SRAET. This speculative concept envisions highly automated reproductive systems combining artificial wombs, advanced reproductive biotechnology, biosensors, AI-assisted monitoring, and predictive developmental modeling into a closed-loop environment capable of supporting conception through birth under carefully controlled conditions.

The framework explores the controversial possibility that future advances in gene editing and synthetic biology could one day help humans adapt biologically to off-world environments.

Researchers emphasize that such ideas are still speculative and acknowledge the enormous ethical, biological, and safety concerns surrounding germline modification, off-target mutations, and multigenerational consequences. Rather than advocating immediate implementation, they present these possibilities as conceptual pathways that justify careful scientific and ethical discussion.

For fans of science fiction, many of these concepts may sound remarkably familiar. Yet, researchers attempt to ground their arguments in existing developmental biology, reproductive medicine, aerospace engineering, and space medicine while clearly distinguishing current evidence from future speculation.

In the end, researchers suggest that the future of human space travel may depend less on propulsion systems than on understanding how life develops under entirely new environmental conditions. If humanity hopes to establish permanent settlements off Earth, science will first need to ensure that future generations are able to begin life safely under alien skies.

“Ultimately, the greatest challenge of human expansion beyond Earth may not be transporting humans into space, but understanding how life itself can develop, adapt, and evolve under space conditions,” researchers write. “In this sense, SRAET would not merely support reproduction beyond Earth; it would represent a developmental biotechnology through which humanity may begin to actively participate in shaping its own evolutionary future.”

Study: Ferraz M, Moeharram L. “Past, present and future of human reproduction and development in space.” Frontiers in Space Technologies. 2026.

Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement executive, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the Intelligence Community and topics related to psychology. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @LtTimMcMillan.  Tim can be reached by email: tim@thedebrief.org or through encrypted email: LtTimMcMillan@protonmail.com 

Naked mole-rats have long puzzled biologists with their striking eusocial structure, where most adults remain reproductively suppressed while a queen controls the colony’s future. Now, a new study identifies a chemical “queen odour” that links social status to endocrine control, revealing a mammalian analogue to insect queen pheromones.

The molecule, termed IPM, is enriched by the queen and acts as the key mediator of reproductive suppression in non-breeding females. When IPM is present, circulating prolactin rises while progesterone is suppressed, locking the colony into a stable reproductive hierarchy characterized by reduced conflict and maintained group cohesion.

Crucially, the team connects this behavioural outcome to the brain. Using multiple approaches—including non-invasive functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI)—they show that IPM provokes strong activation of olfactory neurons and central neural circuits. This provides a neural substrate for how a chemical cue can trigger colony-wide physiological change, rather than relying on social learning or passive association.

The experiments also clarify sensory routing. Ablating olfaction abolishes aggression initiation and lowers prolactin levels, directly tying IPM detection to reproductive suppression. While the findings are consistent with sensing through the main olfactory epithelium, the authors note that the vomeronasal system may still contribute.

Queen removal normally destabilizes colonies, leading to aggression, reproductive competition, prolactin decline, and, in extreme cases, mortality. Yet when IPM is added to queenless bedding, the colony remains stable for months. During this period, fecal progesterone metabolite levels stay low, indicating sustained ovarian quiescence alongside elevated prolactin.

The study also addresses a longstanding paradox: transferring soiled bedding and urine from parent colonies fails to maintain suppression in isolated individuals. The authors propose that IPM’s chemistry helps explain this discrepancy. As a long-chain fatty acid ester with low volatility, IPM may persist within the colony environment but fail to travel effectively over distance or survive transfer pathways that preferentially carry other chemicals.

Comparative work extends beyond naked mole-rats. IPM is detected in breeding females of four additional Fukomys species. Although reproductive suppression mechanisms may differ across species, the presence of a similar queen-linked odorant suggests convergent chemical strategies for managing reproductive skew in eusocial mammals.

Overall, the research reframes reproduction control as a chemosensory-to-endocrine pathway: IPM activates olfactory–hypothalamic signalling, elevating prolactin and inhibiting GnRH release. This “social hormone” model offers a new principle for social evolution—chemical cues can synchronize behaviour and physiology at the scale of an entire mammal colony.

Subject of Research: Reproductive suppression and social hierarchy in eusocial mammals (naked mole-rats and related Fukomys species)

Article Title: A queen odour mediates reproductive suppression in a eusocial mammal

Article References:

Khallaf, M.A., Hart, D.W., Luo, W. et al. A queen odour mediates reproductive suppression in a eusocial mammal.
Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10772-5

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10772-5

Keywords: IPM; queen odour; reproductive suppression; prolactin; GnRH; olfaction; eusociality; functional ultrasound imaging; Fukomys

In the rapidly advancing field of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), subtle biochemical cues during treatment cycles can have profound and lasting impacts on offspring health. A groundbreaking study by Jiang, Wei, Liu, and colleagues, set to appear in Nature Communications in 2026, reveals intricate links between human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) exposure on the trigger day of ART protocols and enduring epigenetic modifications that influence neurodevelopmental trajectories in children conceived via these methods. This research shines a spotlight on the complex interplay between hormonal interventions during ART and the epigenetic landscape shaping long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

At the core of this investigation lies hCG, a glycoprotein hormone traditionally recognized for its critical role in early pregnancy maintenance. It is clinically administered as a trigger to induce final oocyte maturation and subsequent ovulation in ART cycles. Despite its widespread use, the broader biological consequences of hCG administration timing and dosage, particularly regarding the epigenome of resulting embryos and offspring, remain poorly understood. Jiang and colleagues address this knowledge gap by systematically evaluating how hCG exposure on trigger day affects DNA methylation patterns—a key epigenetic mechanism regulating gene expression—in offspring conceived via ART.

Utilizing a large cohort of ART offspring and sophisticated epigenomic profiling techniques, the researchers uncovered that variations in trigger-day hCG levels corresponded to distinct DNA methylation signatures detectable in peripheral tissues of the children years post-birth. These methylation changes were not random but localized to genes with established roles in neurodevelopment and synaptic function. Notably, altered methylation was observed in loci involved in neuronal proliferation, differentiation, and synaptic plasticity, processes fundamental to cognitive development and neurological health.

The implications of these findings are considerable given the rising prevalence of ART-conceived individuals globally. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation are dynamic yet heritable through cell division, and perturbations during critical windows of embryonic development can have cascading effects on gene regulation. Jiang et al.’s data suggest that the timing and hormonal milieu created by hCG administration on trigger day may inadvertently shape the epigenetic program of the embryo with consequences extending into postnatal brain development.

To unravel the potential neurodevelopmental consequences, the team correlated their epigenetic data with standardized neuropsychological assessments performed on the ART offspring. They reported significant associations between specific methylation patterns and measures of cognitive function, executive processing, and social behavior, domains frequently implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. This links the biochemical intervention in ART directly to behavioral phenotypes observed in the children, underscoring the functional relevance of epigenetic imprinting driven by hCG exposure.

Mechanistically, the study posits that hCG triggers a cascade of intracellular signaling events including modulation of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity and chromatin remodelers during oocyte maturation and early embryo development. These processes may alter the establishment or maintenance of methylation marks at neurodevelopmentally critical genes. Interestingly, variations in the hCG dose and timing created distinct epigenomic landscapes, emphasizing the fine balance required in ART hormone protocols to avoid unintended epigenetic dysregulation.

This research not only advances understanding of ART-associated neurodevelopmental risks but also offers actionable insights for clinical practice. Optimizing hCG administration parameters could mitigate adverse epigenetic and developmental outcomes, enhancing the safety profile of ART. The notion that a single hormonal manipulation at a specific time point can induce persistent epigenomic and neurodevelopmental alterations demands a reevaluation of ART protocols incorporating epigenetic endpoints.

The findings may also have broader implications beyond ART, revealing fundamental principles of how transient hormonal milieus during early development can imprint long-lasting changes on gene regulation and phenotype. This could inform developmental biology, neuroepigenetics, and endocrine research, potentially identifying biomarkers predictive of neurodevelopmental risk across diverse prenatal exposures.

Furthermore, the study leverages cutting-edge epigenomic technologies such as whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and single-cell methylation analysis, coupled with rigorous neurobehavioral phenotyping in a longitudinal cohort framework. This integrative, multi-omics approach sets a new standard for assessing the safety and long-term effects of reproductive interventions, blending molecular precision with clinical relevance.

Ethically, these insights prompt a dialogue about the need for comprehensive monitoring of ART offspring, integrating epigenetic screening and neurodevelopmental surveillance to detect and potentially intervene in early deviations. The epigenetic alterations detected by Jiang et al. are reversible in principle, raising the prospect of targeted epigenetic therapies or nutritional interventions to restore typical developmental trajectories.

Moreover, the study encourages further exploration into paternal contributions and environmental factors interacting with trigger-day hCG effects, recognizing that ART outcomes emerge from a complex interplay of genetics, epigenetics, and external exposures. Identifying modifiers of hCG-induced epigenetic programming could refine personalized ART approaches tailored to individual risk profiles.

Overall, this landmark research by Jiang and colleagues opens a new frontier in reproductive medicine, illustrating that the endocrinology of ART cycles extends beyond immediate gamete maturation to sculpt the epigenomic and neurodevelopmental fate of future generations. It reinforces the imperative for precision medicine in reproductive technologies and highlights the power of epigenetics in mediating early-life environmental influences on human development.

As ART continues to bring hope to millions struggling with infertility, understanding and controlling the subtle molecular ripples of treatment interventions like hCG administration becomes paramount. Jiang et al.’s study sets a vital precedent, demonstrating that optimizing hormone triggers is not merely a matter of improving pregnancy rates but safeguarding the neurological health and well-being of ART-conceived individuals throughout their lives.

Subject of Research: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) effects on DNA methylation and neurodevelopment in offspring conceived via assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

Article Title: Trigger-day hCG effects on DNA methylation and neurodevelopment in ART offspring.

Article References:
Jiang, Y., Wei, X., Liu, X. et al. Trigger-day hCG effects on DNA methylation and neurodevelopment in ART offspring. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74712-7

Image Credits: AI Generated

Il y a plus de 550 millions d’années, les premiers animaux peuplaient déjà les océans terrestres sous des formes très différentes de celles d’aujourd’hui. Longtemps dominés par des organismes fixés au fond marin et se reproduisant probablement par clonage, ces écosystèmes auraient connu une...

Fossils from some of the oldest-known animals on Earth, dating from 574 million years ago (Ediacaran period), suggest that cloning, not competition, dominated the Ediacaran seas, slowing evolution until environmental stress helped drive the rise of sexual reproduction and a burst of biodiversity.

The post Earth’s Earliest Animals May Have Thrived Too Easily to Evolve appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Outside experts found that two studies cited in a federal case on medication abortion had serious design problems and that their authors had undisclosed conflicts of interest

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