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3 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

First bird flu outbreak in UK since 2017 confirmed in Suffolk

Public Health England has said that the risk to public health is very lowCases of bird flu have been confirmed at a chicken farm in Suffolk, the government has said.All 27,000 birds at the commercial farm will be culled after a number were found to have the H5 type of avian flu, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said on Tuesday. Continue...

Dinosaurs had feathers ruffled by parasites, study finds

Ancient pieces of amber found to contain dinosaur feathers riddled with louse-like insectsDinosaurs may have been fearsome and intimidating creatures that dominated the prehistoric earth – but it did not stop them having their feathers ruffled by parasites, researchers have found.Scientists have discovered ancient pieces of amber, dating from about 99m years ago, that contain dinosaur feathers...

Orca grandmothers babysit young whales, study finds

Research on 378 killer whales finds those with grandmothers live longer and the older females help them when food is scarceDoting killer whale grandmothers help their grand calves survive, particularly in times of food scarcity, scientists reported in a paper that sheds new light on the evolutionary role of menopause.Orca females stop reproducing in their thirties or forties but can continue to...