Author: Vamika Sharma
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From Viral Invaders to Evolutionary Enablers: Viruses and the Mammalian Placenta
The placenta is a fascinating organ: not only is it temporary, but it has also enabled animals to give birth to live offspring. In fact, it is the first organ to form in mammalian development, and its ancestral form developed approximately 130 million years ago (Chuong, 2018). The evolution of the placenta brought about the…
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Whale Watching With Two Eyes
As human activity surges, biodiverse ecosystems become increasingly susceptible to anthropogenically induced collapse: rising carbon emissions are acidifying the oceans, amplifying forest fires, and disrupting seasonal patterns. Even whales, the largest mammals on Earth, cannot escape these vicissitudes (Nicol, et al., 2020). Luckily, research-based wildlife stewardship is making significant advances to conserve whale species by…