Cloned testicles let goats father the offspring of another male

Biologists have created pigs, goats and mice whose testicles produce the sperm of a different male and which breeders could use to pass on desirable traits to many more offspring than normally possible Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2254419-cloned-testicles-let-goats-father-the-offspring-of-another-male/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Mysterious evolution of wonky whale skulls

How we worked out when whales first evolved asymmetrical skulls. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/whale-asymmetrical-skull-evolution…

Sperm have a weird way of swimming and we only noticed after 300 years

For 300 years we’ve assumed sperm swim by beating their tails symmetrically, but in reality sperm rotate like a corkscrew while beating their tails asymmetrically Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2250415-sperm-have-a-weird-way-of-swimming-and-we-only-noticed-after-300-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Lab-grown sperm could let infertile men have gene-edited children

The first reliable way of isolating and growing sperm stem cells could lead to new fertility treatments, including correcting mutations that block sperm production Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2248668-lab-grown-sperm-could-let-infertile-men-have-gene-edited-children/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Sperm swim up to 70 per cent faster when they have a lazy tail

Some sperm don’t use the final few micrometres of their tail to move, but simulations show they may actually swim faster than others that do, which could help pave the way for improved fertility tests Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2248614-sperm-swim-up-to-70-per-cent-faster-when-they-have-a-lazy-tail/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

CRISPR Gene Editing In Human Embryos Wreaks Chromosomal Mayhem

A suite of experiments that use the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to modify human embryos have revealed how the process can make large, unwanted changes to the genome at or near the target site. Nature reports: The first preprint was posted online on June 5 by developmental biologist Kathy Niakan of the Francis Crick Institute in London and her colleagues. In that…

Seminal fluid, not just sperm, can influence offspring’s survival

It’s not just about the sperm: the semen of male fish carries unidentified substances that influence how quickly the offspring develop and even how well they can swim Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2232134-seminal-fluid-not-just-sperm-can-influence-offsprings-survival/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Why are whales big, but not bigger?

How did whales that feed on tiny prey evolve into the largest creatures on Earth? And why don’t they get even bigger? Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/why-are-whales-big…