Lead-resistant lizards in New Orleans could hold clues to combating lead poisoning
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Dec-2025 00:11 ET (31-Dec-2025 05:11 GMT/UTC)
New research from Tulane University found that brown anole lizards in New Orleans carry the highest blood-lead levels ever recorded in a vertebrate — amounts that would be lethal to most other animals — yet they appear unaffected. The study, published this month in Environmental Research, found that the lizards’ blood lead levels exceeded all previously reported values for fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals.
A series of hide-and-seek experiments with a bonobo named Kanzi shows for the first time that apes can mentally keep track of multiple familiar humans at once, even when they are out of sight. Kanzi could also recognize caregivers from their voices alone, an ability never before tested on bonobos.
How does the collective interaction of many individual cells create a perfectly formed organism? This question is the focus of a new study.
As bones weaken with age, the culprits may be the aging cells within. A new review uncovers how cellular changes—like senescence, inflammation, and loss of regenerative capacity—disrupt the delicate balance of bone formation and breakdown. By mapping these age-related mechanisms across multiple skeletal diseases, the study offers a clearer picture of how bones decline over time, and where potential therapies might intervene to slow or even reverse the process.