More than 400 million years ago, ancient oceans were teeming with fish — some with bony armor or lacking jaws — that might seem alien today. Scientists have long wondered where in the sea fish first evolved. A study suggests fish first swam in the shallows around the coasts of supercontinents before they diversified and conquered the world's waters. Paleontologist Lauren Sallan said the results were unexpected. "All of the groups kept originating in the shallow water over the whole 100-million-year period."

Researchers identify regeneration genes

Every spring, male deer sprout and rapidly regrow their massive antlers — the only mammal that can regrow lost body parts. Now, researchers say they have identified two genes primarily responsible for antler regeneration in fallow deer. Peter Yang, an orthopedic researcher, and his team concluded that the genes work in tandem: uhrf1 promotes tissue generation, and s100a10 supports the mineralization of that tissue. They noted that these genes are also found in humans.

Comet was not sent by aliens, scientists say

Scientists have been puzzling over a cigar-shaped comet, dubbed "Oumuamua," since it was first spotted swooping past the planets at a blistering speed. But a recent preprint of a research paper posed an scenario in which it was a "probe built by an alien civilization." There's no evidence to support this. Astrophysicist Paul Sutter tweeted, " No, 'Oumuamua is not an alien spaceship, and the authors … insult honest scientific inquiry."

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