EchoSense:Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science news roundup

All Things Considered host Adrian Florido joins Regina G. Barber and EchoSenseGeoff Brumfiel to nerd-out on some of the latest science in the news. They discuss an amazingly preserved sea squirt fossil that could tell us something about human evolution, a new effort to fight malaria by genetically modifying mosquitos and why archeologists are rethinking a discovery about a Copper-age leader.

Evolutionary clues from a 500-million-year-old fossil

In a new paper in Nature Communications, Harvard researchers detail a newly-identified species of sea squirt that may be among the most well-preserved and oldest specimens of its kind. Sea quirts belong to a group of tubed-shaped animals known as tunicates, which are the closest invertebrate relative that humans and other vertebrates have. This tunicate fossil's characteristics suggest our ancient shared lineage may stretch back even further in time than previously thought.

Fighting Malaria with genetically-modified mosquitoes

Mosquitos spread malaria, which is caused by a parasite. But because the parasite doesn't make them sick, their immune systems don't fight that parasite — until now. Researchers are experimenting with genetic modification using CRISPR technology to create mosquitos that naturally produce antibodies to fight the malaria parasite. And it's not the first time scientists have genetically-modified mosquitos!

A new understanding of an ancient leader

In 2008, in southwestern Spain, scientists uncovered the remains of an ancient leader from the Copper age — a man who lived and ruled in the region nearly 5,000 years ago. Ivory objects were strewn around the burial site, earning him the nickname the Ivory Man. But a group of scientists now believe the Ivory Man may actually have been a woman. Analysis of chromosome-linked proteins in the person's preserved tooth enamel led the researchers to this conclusion, and the same technique could lead to more reliable identification of other skeletal remains in the future.

Have questions about science in the news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.