[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

1. Head lice hitched a ride on humans to the Americas at least twice
The parasites’ genetics can give in-depth insights into their hosts’ pasts.
You needn’t be a nitpicker to be intrigued.
By Jake Buehler, 11-8-23

2. Here’s how high-speed diving kingfishers may avoid concussions
Specific genetic tweaks seem to protect brains from 40 km/h plunges into water.
By Claudia Lopez Lloreda, 11-6-23

Analysis of the genetic instruction book of some diving kingfishers identified changes in genes related to brain function as well as retina and blood vessel development, which might protect against damage during dives, researchers report October 24 in Communications Biology. The results suggest the different species of diving kingfishers may have adapted to survive their dives unscathed in some of the same ways, but it’s still unclear how the genetic changes protect the birds.

3. Landscape Explorer shows how much the American West has changed
The online tool stitches historical aerial images into a public map
With the click of a mouse, a new mapping tool shows how places in the American West have changed over the last 70 years.
Open Landscape Explorer Link
By Brianna Randall, 12-6-23